Where
to find Online Support for COPD
Dealing
with COPD may be very daunting, especially when you’ve been newly diagnosed. It’s always a
good idea however, to get help and support wherever you
can. Aside from talking to your doctor and getting support from your loved
ones, the internet can be a great place to turn to for information and
encouragement. There are numerous sites that have great content to help you
learn more about your condition, while also having community forums where
people with chronic lung conditions can share their experiences and turn to one
another for support.
Here
are our top online picks for sites that help you cope with the challenges of
having COPD.
The American Lung Association’s website
(www.lung.org)
This site by far is among the best
resources for those suffering from lung conditions including COPD. The website
provides a comprehensive list of contents for various lung diseases and
symptoms, where you can search by keyword or by letter. It offers topnotch
information about the different lung conditions, their treatments, current
research trends, as well as advice for managing lung diseases. It contains a
section on COPD, along with tips and a management plan. The website also points
you to support groups that COPD patients can meet with and participate in, like
the Better Breathers Club. It also contains a list of online support groups
where patients can join.
The COPD
Foundation’s website and its forum COPD360social
(www.copdfoundation.org)
The
COPD Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of
COPD patients. Its website has excellent content on learning about COPD and
dealing with everyday challenges that COPD patients go through. The website’s online forum, named COPD360social,
promotes an interactive environment where users such as patients, family
members, and health care professionals can ask questions and post about
experiences. Users can also give out advice, comment on blogs, and discuss
various topics related to COPD. Such an environment provides the members with
an online venue to communicate, encouraging social and emotional support for
COPD pattients, caregivers, and their families.
GSK’s site for
COPD (www.copd.com)
Glaxo-Smith-Kline’s specialized website for COPD has a very
neat format and is ideal for patients newly diagnosed with COPD and their
family members. The site provides a lot of easy-to-understand information, from
learning COPD basics to making a COPD plan. It contains various articles on
COPD topics, and also provides a lot of videos to help you learn more about
managing the daily aspects of COPD. It also encourages patients to complete the
COPD checklist (shich is downloadable from the site), set down goals, and take
simple steps every day to improve your health. The site is very easy to
navigate and provides patients and caregivers with a multitude of resources on
nutrition, exercise, and activities. The videos are very nicely done and
feature actual COPD patients who share their experiences and advice about
managing their condition. Simply sign up at the site to get more of the free
tools and information the site has to offer.
COPD
forum at Supportgroups.com (copd.supportgroups.com)
If you’re looking for an online forum where you
can easily participate in discussions, SupportGroup’s forum on COPD may just be
what you need. SupportGroups.com hosts 220 social support networks that are
specific for certain conditions ranging from depression to cancer, allowing
patients to seek advice and emotional support by interacting with people who
may be going through the same challenges as they are. As a user, you can join
various groups, post pictures and videos, ask questions, share how you’re
feeling, add helpful links, and respond to other people’s posts. The group on
COPD has a lot of active members who respond and help one another through
advice and emotional support. Simply
sign up by clicking th “Join Now” button on the upper part of the page, and you
can start posting and commenting on the COPD group.
Whatever
stage of COPD you are in, it’s always
helpful to learn more about your condition and get support from a community who
can relate with your problems and challenges. Knowing that there are people out
there going through the same things as you are can help make you feel better
and less alone in your battles. The websites above can also help you connect
with resources and people who can give you help or advice regarding your
condition. So whenever you’re feeling down because of your COPD, get online,
read some tips, and share your feeling and concerns. It always helps knowing
that there are people like you out there!
Do you know
of other online sites that provide support for COPD patients? What are your
expereinces from these? We’d love to
hear about them in the comments below!
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