Helpful advice for COPD Self-care--Lovego Weekly report

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Helpful advice for COPD Self-care

Do you have COPD and aren’t sure how to handle your medications and oxygen? Maybe you’ve just been diagnosed and are overwhelmed with all the changes. Or maybe you’ve been living with COPD for some time, and have wanted to learn about how you can care for yourself more efficiently? Most COPD patients know how you feel, and many of them have been successfully able to manage their conditions and still lead healthy, meaningful lives. Here are some tips to guide you with learning how to do self-care more efficiently.

Monitor yourself continuously. One very important aspect of COPD self-care is monitoring yourself continuously. Every day, you have to assess how you are feeling, what symptoms are bothering you, how your energy levels are doing, and how you are responding to medications. To do this, it’s a good idea to keep a journal and set aside a time every day to jot down what you have observed with yourself. You can also write about any physical activities you did or plan to do, and how you feel about them. You can also make a checklist regarding how you feel and what symptoms you have experienced on a particular day. You can then print out this checklist and make a lot of copies, so that all you have to do every day is tick off what feelings and symptoms are applicable. Keeping a journal or record can be very useful — it can help you pinpoint any patterns, any triggers, or simply give you and your health care team a preview of how you have been doing for the past days or weeks. This can be very useful during hospital admissions and physician visits.

Know all about your treatments. In COPD, various treatments are given to optimize breathing and, increase oxygen levels, and lessen the occurrence of symptoms and attacks. It’s quite important to know what your medications are and what each one of them does. Bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and other medications can be included in your daily regimen. Knowing what each of these medications are, how they act, how they should be taken, and what possible side effects they cause can help you be more observant of how your symptoms react with each medication. Oxygen therapy is another essential aspect of COPD treatment. Depending on your needs, your doctor will prescribe you with the oxygen concentration and duration you need to take every day. You may be required to be on oxygen for at least 15 hours, and even up to 24 hours. Knowing your options regarding oxygen therapy can help you decide how to manage this aspect, such as when you are going out of the house or when having to travel.


Make a checklist. Having COPD means having to take daily medications, use your oxygen for certain times of the day (or always), keep track of any symptoms and make sure you have done your exercises and other supplemental treatments. A great way to remind yourself about the items you have to do every day and keep track of the medications and treatments would be to make a checklist. List down all the things you have to do for your condition every day, with a check box beside each item that you can mark when you’ve done it. Aside from functioning as a to-do list, a checklist is also a handy tool that makes you keep track of everything you’ve accomplished for the day.


Know how to manage stress and reduce anxiety. Relaxation and breathing techniques such as belly breathing and visualizing can help you manage stress and keep negative emotions at bay. To do belly breathing, simply look for a comfortable place to sit, relax your shoulders and upper body, then breathe in slowly through your nose, counting to three while you allow your belly to expand as much as it can. Then, place your lips in a pursed position, and slowly exhale to a count of six while allowing your belly to flatten. Do this several times until you feel relaxed. It also helps to think about or visualize your happy place. This could be a place during your childhood, or a place where you are happy with your loved ones. Think about the sensations you will be feeling when in your happy place. As you breathe in and out slowly while visualizing your happy place, you will find that you will be at a very relaxed state,

Advice when doing activities. Before you do any activity, it’s important that you evaluate how important that activity is and how you are feeling before doing the activity. A good idea is to ask yourself some questions before any activity, such as: “Why do I need to do this activity?” “What time is the best time to do this activity?” “Do I have enough energy to do this activity?” “Are there any ways to make the activity easier?” Asking yourself these questions can help you determine the importance of the activity and whether it is a big priority.

Know how to move around the home efficiently. When moving around the home, it’s important to conserve your energy and do things slowly. When doing chores, sit down while doing them whenever possible, such as when preparing food, cooking and doing dishes. When doing chores that require moving around, don’t rush; stop whenever you are tired. Try switching between easy chores and difficult chores to avoid getting too tired. Also, its best to keep frequently used items within reach around the home, such as plates, cups, and other things you use daily.

Advice on bathing and dressing. Choose a time for bathing when you have the most energy. It’s best to have a chair to sit down on during your shower to keep you from getting tired. Keep the temperature to moderate rather than too hot, as the steam may add to any breathing difficulties. Aside from this, it’s best to shower or bath when there is someone in the home to help you if any emergencies or incidents arise. Dry yourself off with a robe instead of a towel to preserve your energy. When dressing, lay out everything you need within reach, which you can also do the night before. As much as possible, sit down while dressing and choose loose fitting clothes.

Ask your doctor or health care team to outline a self-care plan for you. Your physician, along with your health care team, knows what’s best for you. With their years of experience treating COPD patients, they can help you with self-care by drawing out a plan where you get to learn what to do regarding various aspects of your condition, along with everyday aspects of life. They can even show you how to do various things, such as monitor your symptoms, use your oxygen effectively, and do exercises.

Keeping all of these tips in mind will make it easier for you to care for yourself and prevent any COPD attacks. If you live alone, make sure that you have easy access to emergency numbers, as well as having a friend or relative to call whenever you need help. Remember that the person who can take care of you the most is yourself, so knowing how to do self-care is important whatever conditions you have.





 

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How Meditation bring benefit for COPD and how to practise it-Lovego Weekly Report

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How Meditation bring benefit to COPD and how to practise it

Meditation is a practice that is often associated with spiritual practices; however, science shows that meditation greatly benefits physical, emotional and mental aspects of health. Various research on patients with COPD who have tried doing meditation practices show that patients benefit from these practices, reporting an increased sense of wellness, feeling more energized, and being in a good state of health.

Doing daily meditation for COPD can help you manage your health better, improve your breathing, achieve more restful sleep, and reduce any negative feelings. Additionally, meditation is easy for you to perform, since it does not place any pressure on the lungs and has no harmful effects. There are various types of meditation that you can do. Simply choose which among them feels most appropriate for you, then schedule in a regular time each day to practice your chosen method. Here are two methods you can choose from and start practicing at home.

Mindfulness meditation
This type of meditation is known to be the best choice for COPD patients, regardless of what stage you are in. The main principle of mindfulness meditation is simply being in a state of awareness, meaning that you are aware of all the sensations and emotions going on around or inside you. Wherever you are or whatever you’re doing, you can practice mindful meditation techniques. Whether you’re in the living room resting, in the kitchen doing dishes, or outdoors taking a walk, mindfulness meditation can be practiced.

The easiest way to start practicing this method is by learning the basic way to do it. To start doing this, choose a comfortable spot in your home. It can either be on a straight-backed chair, or on the floor where you can sit cross-legged. Next, you have to narrow your concentration by focusing on a single thing, such as your breathing. Allow yourself to just simply breathe, then focus on one thing about your breathing. It may be the passing of your breath through your nostrils, the sensation of air through your lungs, or simply the rising and falling of your belly as you breathe. After you notice yourself feeling calm and able to narrow your concentration on your breathing, its now time to widen your focus. Welcome any thoughts, feelings or sounds that you sense. Accept each thought, each feeling without any judgment, avoiding labeling any of them as good or bad. Simply accept each though or feeling, then slowly let it go. When you sense your thoughts or feelings crowding up, stop awhile and return your focus to your breathing. Once you are again able to achieve this, expand your awareness again.

You can allot about 20-30 minutes at a time to do this practice. Doing mindfulness meditation can take your thoughts away from your condition and allow you to feel more empowered and refreshed. Once you have mastered the basic technique of mindful meditation, you can apply and use it anywhere you are with whatever you are doing.

Mantra meditation
This type of meditation involves the chanting of a particular mantra or a group of words that helps the person focus. Research on this method found that COPD patients who practiced this type of meditation twice a week for the first four weeks, then an hour every week for the next eight weeks observed improvements in lung function, a decrease in inflammation, and an enhanced quality of life after doing it for 12 weeks.

Here’s how to do mantra meditation. First, choose your mantra. A mantra can be a single word or even a short phrase that is meaningful for you. This can be words like “Peace,” “Love,” or even phrases like “I am well.” Next, choose a quiet place that is comfortable for you to stay, like a soft chair or even on the floor with your back against the wall. Make sure to sit as upright as you can while still maintaining your comfort. Then, it’s now time to settle in your position and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, inhaling through your nose then exhaling slowly through your mouth. Continue breathing, eventually shifting to normal, relaxing breathing through your nose. Start saying your chosen mantra to yourself mentally, without moving your lips. Do this repeatedly, making sure that you mentally say it gently and softly. It’s not a necessity for the mantra to correlate with your breathing, though you can do this if you prefer. Continue until the mantra is almost effortless to say, with the feeling of somewhat having it softly whispered into your ear. If your mind wanders and drifts away, simply return your focus on your mantra gently and softly. After about 20 to 30 minutes, you can stop repeating your mantra. It’s advisable to continue sitting quietly for an additional period of time, depending on what is comfortable to you.

Make sure to schedule in a period of meditation throughout your day, though many people prefer doing it in the morning to be able to start the day with feelings of well-being and optimal energy. Doing these types of meditation regularly, even for just a few minutes a day, can greatly improve your symptoms and breathing, allowing you also to manage your emotions better throughout the day. Try one of them now and experience the benefits for yourself!

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Reduce your risk of COPD-Lovego weekly report

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Reduce your risk of COPD

Millions of people are diagnosed with COPD every year. If you know someone who has COPD, you may already be familiar with the challenges encountered in managing the condition. Normally, lung function peaks at early adulthood, usually in the twenties, then after that begins to decline. This is why we have to take care of our lungs, especially as we age. If you are continuously exposed to factors that cause a decrease in lung function, you may be putting yourself at risk to COPD.

There are quite a number of factors that can increase the risk to COPD. Among these include genetics, race, clinical factors and even environmental factors. What is important though, is the fact that COPD can be prevented by working on factors that are within your control. Here are some things you can do to decrease the risk for getting the condition or even slow down its progression.

Stop smoking! It is a known fact that smoking is among the primary risk factors for COPD and other respiratory conditions. Smoking damages healthy lung tissue, decreasing its capacity to carry air and infuse oxygen into the blood. It also wreaks havoc on other body systems, making you more prone to other illnesses. Because of this, the importance of quitting smoking has been emphasized time and again. The good news is that, when you stop smoking, there is an immediate benefit for your lung function. Plus, any difficulty in breathing is lessened to some degree. If you need help in quitting smoking, you can ask your physician for advice. There are also some medications that aid in smoking cessation.

Get active! Regular physical activity can strengthen lung function. Frequent physical activity that encourages moderate to high levels of exercise has been shown to slow down lung function decline. This, in turn, lowers a person’s chances of having COPD. Additionally, studies in smokers have found that high levels of physical activity were able to help in decreasing lung function decline. This simply highlights how regular exercise can help stave off COPD for those at risk, while also slowing down progressions and lessening exacerbations in people who have the disease.

Steer clear from lung irritants. This goes on to say that you have to avoid environmental pollutants that make you cough, especially cigarette smoke and smog. Children who are exposed to irritants like secondhand smoke have been found to have an increased risk for asthma, infections and COPD when they get older. Stay away from places where smog concentrations are high. Avoid using household items that give off chemical fumes, such as cleaning solutions. If places with air pollutants are totally unavoidable, opt to wear masks that keep you from inhaling such particles. It’s also best to avoid inhaling any smoke from burning coal, wood or any other material.

Adapt some dietary improvements. Aside from helping you maintain a healthy weight, eating right can help add healing components to your diet, such as fish, fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and veggies contain components that help decrease inflammation in the body, along with antioxidants that fight off tissue damage. The healthy omega-3 fats in fish like salmon have been found as well to help decrease inflammation in the lungs, resulting in improved lung function. Omega-3 can be taken in as well from other foods and fish oil supplements. Additionally, taking in 600 mg of Vitamin E every other day has been found to cause a 10-percent reduction in COPD risk.

Keep away from respiratory illness. Frequent episodes of flu and colds can attack the integrity of lung function. Do your best to reduce the number of times you get flu, colds and other respiratory illnesses. This can be done by taking measures to strengthen your immune system and preventing transmission of infections. Advise all family members to wash their hands upon getting inside the house. Get vaccinations for flu and pneumonia, especially if you are at a higher level of risk. It also helps to take your daily multivitamin, especially one containing zinc and vitamins known to strengthen the immune system.

All of these tips can help you and your loved ones prevent the onset of COPD, especially if you have a family history of respiratory conditions. If you already have COPD, the tips above can help reduce the frequency of exacerbations and slow down the progression of lung disease. Taking these extra measures to heart can have a powerful impact on your health now and even later in life.

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Diabetes and COPD-Lovego Weekly Report

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Diabetes and COPD

Diabetes is a disease that many people hear about but may not be very familiar with, until they are diagnosed with it. Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot use glucose efficiently, thus leaving high amounts of it in the blood. This results to various symptoms like feeling easily tired and fatigued, frequent thirst and urination, and wounds that are difficult to heal. In the long term, diabetes can lead to damage to blood vessels and nerves, affecting major body organs like the heart, kidneys, eyes and brain.

But why is it an important issue to know about, especially for COPD patients? An increasing number of studies show that patients who have COPD have a higher risk for acquiring diabetes.

Diabetes and COPD: The connection

Though it has not yet been well-established as to why COPD patients have a higher chance of being affected with diabetes, one of the main suspects is the systemic inflammation brought about by the condition. Chronic inflammation has been linked to the development of a number of lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Also, recent studies have shown that COPD increases the risk for diabetes because of the changes it causes in the body, such as increased weight gain and alterations in metabolism. Increased oxidative stress and insulin resistance may also pave the way for the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Aside from such alterations in the body, COPD patients’ chronic intake of corticosteroids to relieve airway inflammation can also play a role. Among the side effects of corticosteroids, one of the most difficult to deal with is its alteration of blood sugar levels. Corticosteroids, like prednisolone and hydrocortisone, can wreak havoc on how the body metabolizes blood sugar. The side effects become even more pronounced in patients who are taking corticosteroids over the long term, causing insulin resistance that can ultimately lead to type 2 diabetes.

All of the above effects are possible, regardless of the severity and stage of COPD. Thus, many COPD patients should be more aware of the risks that the condition may lead to.

Diabetes, on the other hand, is also a factor that can increase the chances for lung infections and negatively affect lung structure and function. Many diabetics are more at risk of pulmoary infections. Thus, patients who have diabetes along with COPD can possibly experience more serious COPD symptoms. Diabetics with COPD were seen to have an increased incidence of flare-ups as well. Other investigations have also supported this evidence. Patients with high blood sugar levels were seen to be more frequently hospitalized for COPD symptoms and acute attacks, with diabetes possibly causing a more rapid rate of lung decline. Because of this, diabetes mellitus is now considerably viewed as one of the contributing factors to COPD.

What you can do to minimize risk

All of this information may seem overwhelming and even bothersome. However, there are things you can do to stop diabetes in its tracks or altogether prevent its onset. Consider taking on practices that reduce the risks to diabetes, such as having a healthy diet low in refined sugars. You also need to pay attention to the importance of reducing lung function decline, such as quitting smoking and staying on track with your exercise program. Talk with your doctor to have an assessment of your blood sugar levels, and ask for continuous monitoring.

If you are seen to have problems with blood sugar control, its time to take steps to keep this from progressing to full blown diabetes. You should also consider regular prophylactic vaccinations since high blood sugar levels may make respiratory infections more difficult to deal with. Its also important to adhere to medical regimens and routines recommended by your doctor. Adequate control over symptoms with prevention of complications should be the main goal of your treatment regimen.

All in all, regular appointments and open communication with your doctor to voice out any worries over your condition is a great start to preventing diabetes, heart conditions, and the onset of any other possible conditions.

                                                     

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