Living

For the vast majority of people, when they hear the words "COPD" they automatically think "they must be a smoker." While smoking is the leading cause of COPD, it isn't...

The lungs are huge. Shaped like an upside-down butterfly, the top of each lung extends into the lowest part of the neck, just above the first rib. The bottom of...

The other day my husband and I were at Sam's Club buying way too much as usual and while he paid for and boxed up our stuff I went to...

If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you may expect symptoms like being short of breath or coughing. However, some less well-known symptoms still impact people with COPD. Many...

Most people with chronic lung diseases don’t walk around saying, “Woe is me!” We don’t do that. We make adjustments and we learn to cope. And one of the bigger...

When I was 19, I was pushed into lighting a cigarette, actually it happened frequently. I got past the rotten taste and realized that I was losing weight, a lot...

It is no secret that anxiety goes hand in hand with COPD as symptoms worsen.  Once the shortness of breath, or dyspnea, becomes severe enough to cause fear, dealing with...

Some people with COPD develop a condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). When this occurs, it is often referred to as COPD-OSA Overlap Syndrome, or simply "Overlap Syndrome.” A common...

“Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.” – Anthony Burgess I hope you got a laugh out of that quote. You deserve a laugh. Because...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a term that is used to describe a group of lung conditions that, among other things, make it difficult to breathe well. The four...

COPD effects each of us differently. But the one thing we all have in common is breathlessness which at times can  - for us in the more advanced stages -...

I am a respiratory therapist. I am involved in the care of people with COPD, especially if you come to the emergency room feeling short of breath. So, I thought...

You might think I'm crazy but I'll risk it: Any time people face adversity they react in ways they might not have expected. That moment of crisis lays bare attitudes...

Many of our community members find it helpful when we share various resources - both here at COPD.net and on our Facebook page. With that in mind, we bring you...

Motivating your family to help with household cleaning can be challenging. For people living with COPD, it can be difficult to ask for more help, or even tempting to forgo...

Four years ago when I was diagnosed with COPD I started to have panic attacks such as I described in my first anxiety article. The anxiety from the pain, from...

People with severe COPD are now living better and longer than ever before. One reason for this accomplishment is the use of BiPAP both in hospitals and at home. So, what...

  “Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.” – Gustav Mahler Spring is my favorite all of...

Inhaled medications are some of the foundations of treatment for COPD. Since COPD is a disease of the airways, it makes sense that medications inhaled right into those airways would...

With “Spring Cleaning” season upon us, it probably comes as no surprise to hear our Spotlight this month centers around tips and tricks for tidying your space. However, many of...