Photo Credit: JackF / istockphoto.com
3. Remaining Independent
There’s no doubt about it: the exercise and education at the heart of pulmonary rehab will help you stay independent for longer. COPD is a progressive disease, and the more your mind and body suffer under the weight of it, the more difficult it is to do things for yourself. In the worst cases, patients lose the ability to support themselves day in and day out.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is good insurance against a dependent lifestyle. As you build a stronger, more energetic body, you will also learn about assistive devices, good nutrition, and stress reduction techniques that will help you continue to live safely and comfortably on your own.
Resources
NCBI (Mortality and mortality-related factors after hospitalization for acute exacerbation of COPD)WebMD (Pulmonary Rehabilitation for COPD)COPD Foundation (What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?)Patient.info (Pulmonary Rehabilitation)
When symptoms flare up it can be difficult to breathe. In such instances it may be helpful to use BiPAP for COPD, a machine that assists with breathing.
