Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease defined by one’s difficulty breathing. Its symptoms include wheezing, persistent coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath (MedlinePlus, 2018). COPD is stated to be the “third leading cause of death in the United States” (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2018, para. 13).This disease can disrupt people’s daily living and complicate one’s ability to lead a healthy lifestyle. While helping patients cope with this disease, medical professionals should remember that it is crucial to describe possible ideas of health promotion. For instance, the first activity that one can take to lower the impact of COPD is stop smoking. According to Bartlett, Sheeran, and Hawley (2014), patients with COPD who are exposed to tobacco smoke can experience breathing problems and develop strong symptoms. Therefore, health promotion should include anti-smoking campaigns and awareness programs. As Spruit, Pitta, McAuley, ZuWallack, and Nici (2015) state, exercising improves patients’ overall health and reduces exhaustion from being active. Physical activity is the next possible health-promoting initiative.
To maintain their health, patients with COPD have to follow some recommendations. They should try not to expose themselves to various lung irritants such as tobacco smoke, dust, or fumes (COPD Foundation, 2018). Air pollution is also a reason for concern, so patients should try to stay away from industrial and congested areas of cities and stay at home during seasons with a high concentration of dust, pollen, or other allergens in the air. It is crucial to note that secondhand smoke is dangerous to COPD patients as well. People with COPD should follow the instructions of their doctor and take prescribed medications. Also, they can do breathing exercises to train their respiratory system. Patients that experience difficulty breathing during any physical activity should do all exercises at low speed to avoid exhaustion. However, physical training should not be neglected by these individuals as well. They should discuss possible practices with their doctor and find a suitable program.
While COPD is a chronic disease, it is possible to manage its symptoms and restore some aspects of one’s health. For instance, pulmonary rehabilitation is a well-developed program that can help patients to perform daily activities without many complications. It is a combination of breathing, physical exercises, and education focused on coping and managing techniques. Patients should learn more about this program and understand that they can leave a healthy life with COPD. Advice about nutrition plans, medications, breathing techniques, and other topics are covered in this program (Spruit et al., 2015). Patients should also take the restoration into their hands and actively participate in the healing process. Self-management applications, for example, can be used by individuals on a daily basis to monitor their condition and help them find weaknesses in their treatment plans. Voncken-Brewster et al. (2014) state that e-Health can significantly improve one’s health. Web-based applications can work as a reminder to take medication, perform exercises, or stay away from dangerous irritants.
Health teaching includes providing patients with all necessary information regarding the process of managing COPD. All suggestions and instructions should be available to individuals that go through different stages of COPD, from the first signs to the fully developed symptoms. It is necessary to show patients that smoking is hazardous to their health. Moreover, that it is one of the main reasons for the development of COPD (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2018). Helpful resources and organizations such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have an extensive amount of information available to people online. However, nurses and doctors should also be a source of relevant and useful information supported by the latest findings of the evidence-based research. For instance, studies mentioned earlier show that exercising and self-monitoring should be taught to patients with COPD to help them live with this disease.
References
Bartlett, Y. K., Sheeran, P., & Hawley, M. S. (2014). Effective behaviour change techniques in smoking cessation interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta‐analysis. British Journal of Health Psychology, 19(1), 181-203.
COPD Foundation. (2018). Newly diagnosed with COPD? Web.
MedlinePlus. (2018). COPD. Web.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2018). COPD. Web.
Spruit, M. A., Pitta, F., McAuley, E., ZuWallack, R. L., & Nici, L. (2015). Pulmonary rehabilitation and physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 192(8), 924-933.
Voncken-Brewster, V., Tange, H., Moser, A., Nagykaldi, Z., De Vries, H., & Van Der Weijden, T. (2014). Integrating a tailored e-health self-management application for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients into primary care: A pilot study. BMC Family Practice, 15(1), 4.