Anyone else here with COPD?

[Zoigal]

Diagnosed a year ago...MD can give no reason
as to why...never smoked, etc. Wasn't giving me
any problems until we moved to So Cal...perhaps it's
the dirty air. Any coping ideas? Thanks.....z

[Warpy]

1. Yes, break jobs down into small segments.

and rest between them. People with severe COPD take an hour to dress in the morning, resting between each article of clothing.

People with mild COPD (and pollution will do it, as well as chronic mild asthma or chronic bronchitis) can generally get by with things like vacuuming one room at a time, mowing one section of yard at a time, etc.

While drugs can help, learning how to pace yourself helps more.

[Zoigal]

2. Thank you, Warpy

for the suggestions. My COPD is not in the severe stage, thank goodness.
MD wants me to get as much daily exercise as i can plus i take one
medication....z

[tpsbmam]

3. Welcome, Zoigal

Sounds like excellent advice Warpy gave you.


I don't have any first hand experience with COPD, but certainly the So. California air pollution causing it makes sense. I did a little searching online -- seems like chronic exposure over a longer period of time is one cause of COPD, though those with preexisting conditions (and the elderly) are more vulnerable so exposure over a shorter period of time might cause it.

I'd certainly add that I'd exercise indoors, since So. Cal. pollution will most likely exacerbate the COPD, even if it's not the cause.

I found a couple of interesting articles about pollution & COPD.


This first article is full of information about the particulates and kinds of pollutants that can cause COPD:



The Impact of Air Pollution on COPD

by John D. Zoidis, MD

RT: For Decision Makers in Respiratory Care - October/November 1999


The study was published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.


******************************************************************************

And here's just one study that definitely confirms the link between the two.


The study was published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Air Pollution Exposure Increases Risk of Severe COPD
ScienceDaily (Oct. 19, 2010)

-snip-

Long term exposure to low-level air pollution may increase the risk of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to researcher s in Denmark. While acute exposure of several days to high level air pollution was known to be a risk factor for exacerbation in pre-existing COPD, until now there had been no studies linking long-term air pollution exposure to the development or progression of the disease.

-snip-

"We found significant positive associations between levels of all air pollution proxies and COPD incidence," said Dr. Andersen. "When we adjusted for smoking status and other confounding factors, the association remained significant, indicating that long-term pollution exposure likely is a true risk factor
for developing COPD."

-snip-

Because the study used hospital admissions for COPD to assess incidence, it is likely that the true incidence was underestimated, and that the cases represented severe COPD, as mild and moderate COPD does not often require hospitalization. This means that the reported increase in risk associated with air pollution is probably an underestimate of the true increase in risk for COPD in general. Furthermore, while smoking is known to be the primary cause of COPD in developed countries, and majority of COPD cases were smokers or previous smokers, the effect of pollution exposure was also observed in the group of non-smokers. "This result refutes the possibility that the observed effect of air pollution was due to inadequate adjustment for smoking in our data and supports the idea that air pollution affects COPD risk, irrespective of smoking status," said Dr. Andersen.

-snip-

"In any case, sufficient data, including the results of this study, provide evidence that traffic-related urban air pollution contributes to the burden of COPD and that reductions in traffic emissions would be beneficial to public health."

I didn't see a good review article in my quick search -- that's what I was looking for.

These are some suggestions from the COPD Foundation:

Remove clutter (because clutter collects dust!),
Minimize dust mites by washing your bed linens weekly, lowering the humidity level, and keeping your pets off your furniture,
Keep your floors and carpets clean,
Install an air filtration system, and
Reduce your exposure to household chemicals such as paints, varnishes, and cleaning products.

Visit the Asthma and Allergy Foundation’s website for more tips on how to improve the air quality of your home.
http://www.aafa.org/

(I have to add that I'd be in BIG trouble here.....there's no way in hell I'd suddenly become OCD about keeping every little dust mite out of my house and my 2 dogs are on EVERYTHING!)

The American Lung Association had a couple of suggestions about getting help & support groups (which can be a good source for practical information online -- they don't have to be touchy-feely groups if that's not what you're looking for).
http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/copd/living-with-copd/get-social-support.html

There were lots of other possibilities online -- I'm hesitant to point people to unknown groups. You might look around -- you may very well find an online group that gives lots of the kinds of information that is most salient to you.

"Coping" means so many things to so many people, from emotional issues to practical advice such as that offered by Warpy. Keep asking and looking 'til you find what YOU need. And definitely, keep coming back here if this group is a help!

It sucks getting something like COPD when you're a nonsmoker. I suspect given what we're doing to the environment we're doing to be seeing more and more of this kind of problem among otherwise healthy people.

[Joey Liberal]

4. I have COPD

Diagnosed a few years ago. I also have never smoked. I don't cut the grass or vacuum anymore. I hydrate (water) a lot more and it helps. Recommend Yoga and Pilates for exercise - both help me a lot. I find that carpeting is bad for my COPD. Put down floor tile in place of carepting where ever possible. I avoid certain foods, such as peanut butter. Wondering if medicinal marijuana would help (the pill form or in brownies).

[Ineeda]

5. I have it and I was a (stupid) smoker for years.

Chronic bronchitis, diagnosed in February. I'm on inhaled meds and the side effects suck: extremely dry mouth, increased appetite and screwed-up taste. I've not been enjoying flavors so I eat more to find satisfaction! Add that to lack of stamina and adequate breath for normal physical activity, so I've put on some weight, which exacerbates all the problems. I just purchased an elliptical machine so that I can exercise at my own pace inside in the air conditioning. (I'm an older widow-woman. I have RA also, so joints and fatigue are additional issues.)
My only advise is to be patient with yourself, pace yourself, prioritize your activities, and if you need help, ask. For the first time ever, this month I paid someone to wash my windows and to scrub my six ceiling fans. What a relief it was to just let those once- or twice-a-year chores go!
Good luck.