DISEASES EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
There’s no specific diet for COPD, but a healthy diet is important for maintaining overall health. The stronger you are, the more able you’ll be to prevent complications and other health problems.
Choose a variety of nutritious foods from these groups:
vegetables
fruits
grains
protein
dairy
Also, remember to go easy on the salt. It causes the body to retain water, which can strain breathing.
Liquids
Drink plenty of fluids. Drinking at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeinated liquids a day can help keep mucus thinner. This may make the mucus easier to cough out.
Limit caffeinated beverages because they can interfere with medications. If you have heart problems, you may need to drink less, so talk to your doctor.
Weight management
Maintaining a healthy weight is important. It takes more energy to breathe when you have COPD, so you might need to take in more calories. But if you’re overweight, your lungs and heart may have to work harder.
If you’re underweight or frail, even basic body maintenance can become difficult. Overall, having COPD weakens your immune system and decreases your ability to fight off infection.
Eating habits
A full stomach makes it harder for your lungs to expand, leaving you short of breath. If you find that this happens to you, try these remedies:
Clear your airways about an hour before a meal.
Take smaller bites of food that you chew slowly before swallowing.
Swap three meals a day for five or six smaller meals.
Save fluids until the end so you feel less full during the meal.
Living with COPD
COPD requires lifelong disease management. That means following the advice of your healthcare team and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits.
Since your lungs are weakened, you’ll want to avoid anything that might overtax them or cause a flare-up. Here’s a list of things to consider as you adjust your lifestyle.
Avoid smoking. If you’re having trouble quitting, talk to your doctor about smoking cessation programs. Try to avoid secondhand smoke, chemical fumes, air pollution, and dust.
Work out. A little exercise each day can help you stay strong. Talk to your doctor about how much exercise is good for you.
Eat a diet of nutritious foods. Avoid highly processed foods that are loaded with calories and salt, but lack nutrients.
Treating other conditions. If you have other chronic diseases along with COPD, it’s important to manage those as well, particularly diabetes mellitus and heart disease.
Clean house. Clear the clutter and streamline your home so that it takes less energy to clean and do other household tasks. If you have advanced COPD, get help with daily chores.
Be prepared for flare-ups. Carry your emergency contact information with you and post it on your refrigerator. Include information about what medications you take, as well as the doses. Program emergency numbers into your phone.