Lung Infections: Lifestyle Changes To Control Breathing Problems

More than a billion people worldwide suffer from acute or chronic respiratory problems. The harsh reality is that 4 million individuals die prematurely each year as a result of chronic respiratory disease.

You don’t have to stop living your life just because you’ve been diagnosed with a lung ailment like chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Lifestyle plays a critical role in the management of your breathing conditions.

You may minimize your symptoms and enhance your quality of life by making the following lifestyle adjustments. These changes will help ease your discomfort to an extent.

Quit Smoking

The most common cause of COPD is smoking. COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a group of diseases that blocks your airflow, leading to breathing difficulties, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. 

COPD is a highly prevalent disease affecting nearly 16 million Americans. Smoking speeds up the progression of the disease, making it severe over the period. Smoking cessation may lower your chances of dying from COPD. 

Quitting is never easy. But if it’s a matter of life and death, you’ll choose your health first. Today there are multiple options including, pills, meditations, modification techniques, to help you quit. 

Our experts at TelMDCare can help you and guide you on the best strategy that works for you to quit smoking.

Stay Physically Active 

Regular physical activity helps to strengthen muscles, enhances endurance, and improves your general health. It also trains your body to use oxygen more efficiently, which can help with breathlessness during daily chores. 

Gentle workouts that don’t overexert your lungs, such as gentle walking, golfing, gardening, are ideal. They’ll not only help you physically but also give you mental peace and relaxation.

Contact our doctors for advice on activity levels and any limitations on your exercise. There are special breathing exercises and techniques that are particularly helpful in strengthening your chest muscles to make it easier to breathe.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

If you’re obese, losing weight can help mitigate the COPD symptoms like shortness of breath. No doubt, losing weight is challenging, particularly with the exercising limitations of COPD. 

Our experts at TelMDCare offer a range of services to assist you in making healthy changes to improve your health and breathing difficulties with effective weight loss tips and tricks.

The more the weight, the more your heart and lungs are forced to work harder, which they already do due to COPD. The increased exertion of breathing might worsen the condition. 

Therefore keeping your weight under control and maintaining it will make your situation a lot better.

GET GOOD NUTRITION

Eating healthy helps keep your body and immune system functioning, which is crucial if you have COPD. 

Incorporate a diet low in saturated fats and rich in fish, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains foods. Stay away from anything you’re allergic to and cut down on foods like sugar and red meat.

As your lungs work harder due to breathing issues, you’ll often face difficulties eating and swallowing food. The best approach is to eat several smaller meals instead of one large one. Eat slowly, chewing the food properly, as it’ll make it easier to breathe while you eat. 

Defend Yourself against Infections

COPD patients are more susceptible to lung infections, which can cause flare-ups. These respiratory infections can exacerbate your COPD symptoms. Therefore you must try to defend yourself from all sorts of viral infections that can cause you any further discomfort. 

Avoid close contact with people who have these contagious diseases as much as you can and wash your hands frequently. You can also discuss getting a pneumonia vaccination and yearly flu shots to be extra careful with your doctor.

Adapt to Your Environment

You must avoid or at least minimize exposure to fumes, dust, and other lung irritants as much s you can when at work or outdoors. 

If you’re working with someone who smokes, speak to your supervisor about making a few changes and wearing masks while working. If you exercise outdoors, choose a location with low car exhaust and better air quality.

If you’re facing difficulty in breathing, speak to our doctor online. At TelMDCare, we have virtual doctor appointments, making it convenient to keep your health issues under control.

We’re a leading virtual healthcare provider with a team of professional online doctors who can treat your skin condition, including acne and psoriasis, sexually transmitted diseases, and much more.

Our experienced healthcare physicians can help improve your quality of life. Book your virtual doctor appointment today for as low as $35. 

Contact us today to learn more about services!