What are your COPD triggers?
COPD exacerbations can come out of nowhere but knowing what triggered it may help you avoid one in the future. If you know what your triggers are, let us know in the comments!
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My flare ups have been caused by a couple things. One was smoke from a BBQ pit coupled with fire pit smoke at an outdoor birthday party (it was mid-March and chilly). I did my best to stay in a non-smokey area, but it was pretty much a lost cause. Pet hair and dander make it hard for me to breathe. I went to an airshow in San Antonio this past April. It was really windy (35 mph+), dusty, and exhaust fumes from the airshow performers cause a flare up. Last airshow I will attend. Oak pollen and grass pollen cause problems for my breathing. Mowing the lawn is not possible without breathing protection. I wear a gator when I mow, and it has helped alleviate allergens getting into my airways. Other triggers are really hot weather (as it is right now in South Central Texas), dust and dirt, ozone action days, high winds, Saharan dust, strong smells from cleaning products, strong perfumes, strong cooking smells (such as garlic), and any kind of petroleum product smells, to name a few. I now know if I start having a hard time catching my breathe, to get out of the situation immediately. Not always a fun thing to do, but a necessary thing for me to do. I am so much more aware now, that I find myself less and less in a situation that requires me to suddenly have to leave due to breathing problems. It is an ever-changing process. Just have to stay alert and aware of what a trigger feels like and get away from it asap. Haven't have a flare up since late April / early May. Hopefully I can keep it that way.Are you allergic to your cats? Not every person has problems with animals, especially if they try to keep the house clean and the animals are taken care of properly. In the end, we all have to decide what we are willing to deal with and what we're not ... and for many of us, nothing compares to the happiness and support an animal can provide. I am the same way, happily living with a cat that I'm allergic to, haha. But I think I have adapted to her over time. Wishing you and your kitty friends the best! -Melissa, team member I have no allergies but I imagine 6 long haired cats don’t help. I have to stay away from scents. Everything is bad, the weather and bad air quality.
I haven't had a sense of smell since the mid 80s, probably because of smoking at that time, so I don't know if smells are a trigger. I do try to buy everything I use unscented. The week of July 4 I had a cold, coughing & blowing my nose & this triggered a full blown exacerbation for the first time in 2 years. My doc ordered antibiotics & steroids & it took 2 weeks to get better but I think it worsened my copd over all.
Was in hospital every month or so with exacerbations , for 4 or 5 days at a time. Would go by ambulance as couldn’t breathe even with my oxygen long enough to get there . Two weeks ago was month 6 of the Nucala shot that I give myself every 28 days . It took a while for my pulmonologist to get Medicare to pay for it , but have now not been to hospital for over 2 months . I do have an emergency pack of predisone and antibiotic, I used about 3 weeks ago but didn’t have to go to er . I’m praying that it is the Nucala working . I also had not been leaving the house , even on my scooter , but with help from my son , took grandkids to a outlet store and lunch (on scooter) and am going to go to grandsons baseball game today if it doesn’t get too hot outside. Is anyone else doing the Nucala shots?
How wonderful! I'm glad to hear it's been so effective for you. I hope it continues to help and that you are able to enjoy the rest of the summer without any hospital visits. Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
Stress of any form. A disagreement with someone, anger at my inability to perform a simple task. Any form of physical movement can also trigger an episode, going up and down steps, even two or three. Reaching up to get something out of an overhead cabinet. Actually staying as still as possible is the best way of avoiding exacerbation, which is why I spend a great deal of time sitting at my computer or laying in bed watching tv or sleeping. Of course all of this has to be considered in light of the fact that I'm nearly 82 which in and of itself is exacerbating.I agree totally- stress is the main trigger for me. I, too, am 82 and I find that even cleaning my cat's litter box has to be done later in the day as it takes too much out of me the first thing in the morning. I do walk my little dog two times a day but I first have to take a couple of puffs on my rescue inhaler. Me too but I'm 64
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