Articles

Most of us think of COPD as a lung disorder. And for the most part, it is. It’s associated with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. But, there is increasing evidence that...

Coping with energy and endurance on a day to day basis when you have COPD is all about balance. It's essential to learn how to balance periods of activity or...

It’s the end of May and we’ve gone from wood burning furnaces and fireplaces to firepits. Soon will be fireworks and wildfires. Some areas have been coping with them during...

Caller ID told her it was grandma, but the constricted breath didn’t allow my mom to speak. She hit speed dial, and hoped for a miracle. My daughter talked gently...

I know it’s because of this humid day, as well as rain and snow the past weekend. It seems that with that weather, sleep was off as well. It’s only...

COPDers are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Most people with COPD will not develop. Still, researchers are aware of the increased risk. They are working hard to...

Having COPD doesn’t mean that we must be homebound, it just means that we travel with a focus on health. Taking a trip can be so very exciting. You may...

I finally had my appointment with the new Pulmonologist! Overall, there were no major changes after this initial visit. The doctor was intrigued at the idea of a COPD diagnosis...

What a morning! I woke up feeling pretty good. I can hear a bit of wheezing, which doesn’t happen often, because I’m not really a wheezer. Yet, what a way...

Do you ever feel sad, blue or down in the dumps when you think about living with COPD? If so, you're certainly not alone! At least 1 out of every...

The cost of life saving medications is on the rise. Many of the inhalers, steroids, and combination drugs are expensive. If you are on medicare, like my mom was, it...

Something isn’t right. You find you run out of breath so easy. You’re so tired and rundown. You keep coughing. Thankfully you quit smoking a while ago, so it shouldn’t...

Sometimes in life, I have felt sad, defeated, happy, tired, excited, free, loved, goofy! I find that my happy place is doing something positive, something that I can see, share...

When you have a chronic illness such as COPD, life can be hard. It sometimes feels as though the disease has taken over your life. Unlike a broken bone or...

Mom wanted to remain as independent as possible. She enjoyed having our support, but didn’t want to be a burden. The first few years after her diagnosis with COPD were...

While it’s possible to live an enjoyable life with COPD, it isn’t always easy. This chronic lung disease, which includes bronchitis and emphysema, can be challenging for both patients and...

So, I am a respiratory therapist. I work with lots of COPDers. Some have severe COPD. And some come visit me more than they’d like. We often pass the time...

COPD is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This disease causes an obstruction of airflow, which makes it more difficult to breathe. There is a higher risk with the use of anesthesia...

For the last few weeks, I have been trying to pay particular attention to what triggers the fits of coughing from COPD. Some of them are simple enough to understand...

So, I get lots of questions about breathing treatments. Here are some of the most common ones, followed by my pithy answers. I think the average treatment lasts about 10...