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Top Five Apps for COPD 

Karen Hoyt's avatar image

By Karen Hoyt

2 min read

There are so many tools to help us with COPD, and some of the best resources are right on your phone or mobile device. I personally downloaded and played with many this week. These are what I consider to be the best apps for COPD. With the help of these handy tools, you can practice breathing techniques, learn about medication, track your breath score, and even measure your anxiety scale.

Helpful phone apps for COPD

The Breathing App

It's totally fun. You can look at interactive pictures to help guide your breath. For example, as a ball grows bigger, you inhale, and as it shrinks, you exhale. You can choose numbers to count with, or stars in the Milky Way. You feel like YOU are in control of your breath with this app. It lets you work at your own pace. One-click, and you’re breathing. I didn’t get charged, so I think this one was free.

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Prana Breath: Calm and Meditate

It's the most highly reviewed app for breathing exercises. It is for android, so I’m not able to give it a personal review. However, it is free and has no ads. It has been downloaded over a million times and is free to android users.

Breathe2Relax

It's a diaphragmatic breathing app. It’s my current fave. You can choose any background. I liked the rainforest image. It gives you 16 breaths to practice, with gentle guidance. The best though? You CAN shorten the inhale to match your lungs. You can also lengthen the exhale. I wasn’t able to watch the videos, but I still totally enjoyed this one. It may feel stressful if you have a super reduced lung capacity. I didn’t look at the picture of the tube on the left side filling up, and that helped lessen my anxiety. This got 10 stars because it only cost $.99 cents.

The COPD Pocket Guide

It's the latest from the COPD Foundation. They launched an app that starts you off with assessments and has a ton of features, including lists of medications for COPD, and treatments, videos, and depression and anxiety screen tests. It’s best to begin with the COPD Assessment Test or CAT, mMRC Breathless Score, and Anxiety Scale. Then click around to learn more. It’s available on IOS and Android for $5.99.

The EPA AIRNow

This app is a super useful tool to look at the air quality at your current location. It gives today's and tomorrow's forecast for anywhere in the United States. It is made by the Environmental Protection Agency and is simple to use and free.

Now you know my top 5 apps for COPD. In addition, there are stop smoking apps, which I didn’t even get to yet. Calming down while getting breathing exercises is always beneficial, and you can choose which app you like best for your device. Having access to the COPD Foundation's top of the line resources is a bonus, and you can even check EPA air quality. With these tools at your fingertips, you are helping your body to be in the best possible health while living with COPD.

Are you currently using any technology apps to help with your COPD?

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The COPD.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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