COPD treatment
- Stop Smoking: Smoking is the single most important cause of preventable lung disease. Even people who have been smokers for many years can benefit from smoking cessation. All smokers should be offered a discussion about their smoking habit and alternative methods and support to stop.
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation: A proven effective method of improving the patient/client's symptoms using exercise, education and support. To get the most benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation, patients should attend the whole course which can last from 6 to 12 sessions depending on which area they live. Courses are available in a variety of settings from hospital clinics or out patient centers to community centers and local leisure facilities. They are usually run by physiotherapy or nursing staff and all participants are monitored and given an individual assessment at the start of the programme.
- Medication: Taking the correct medication in the correct way, especially inhaled medication, can significantly affect the patient/client's health and symptom control.
- Oxygen Therapy: Not everyone who is breathless will need oxygen therapy but it is prescribed for those patients with low blood oxygen levels.
- Lifestyle Changes: For some patients/client's simple lifestyle advice can make a difference to how they cope with their illness.
- Breathing Techniques: Some patients/client's will require one-to-one advice or specific breathing techniques to manage their breathing. This can be very successful in relieving symptoms and improving quality of life.
- Supported Self-Management: Most patients/client's spend very little time with health or social care professionals. They need to be able to manage their condition and be able to control their symptoms so that they can live their life and do the tasks which are most important to them. Health and social care staff should be able to facillitate an support the patient/clients self-management.
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