We’ve all experienced what it’s like to be burnt out on something. Whether it’s your job, chores, or health routine, it’s not always easy to find a way to stay on track to meet your goals. What complicates this even further is that everyone experiences this for a different reason. For some people, it’s just a matter of learning how to stick to a routine, but for others, it could be a lack of mental or physical energy that’s holding them back.

If you tuned into our blog earlier this month, you know that we discussed COPD as a “systemic disease.” In other words, it’s a disease that affects every part of the body, not just the lungs. This is an important distinction to make because it enables both patients and medical professionals to detect systemic manifestations earlier on and treat them more effectively. One of the systemic manifestations that we mentioned in this post is osteoporosis, a disease that affects the density of the bones.

One of the most common questions we hear COPD patients ask is, “how can I clear my airways when they get congested?” As a COPD patient, you’re likely to experience coughing fits that are brought on by the buildup of mucus and sputum in the airways and lungs. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you feel like you can’t clear them in order to catch a breath of fresh air. This is far more common than you might expect and it can be a frustrating and sometimes even scary experience.

If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you know that your lung health is directly linked to your systemic health. Just having COPD puts you at a higher risk for respiratory infection, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. But did you know that there’s even a link between your oral health and COPD?

Many people assume that the longer they live, the less capable they are of improving various aspects of their lives. For example, some people take for granted that you can’t learn a musical instrument as an adult. These people are often told throughout their lives by their parents or friends that if you want to learn something complex, you have to start when you’re younger. It’s also assumed that you’ll stop progressing very early on in your life.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the diseases with the greatest financial burdens worldwide and within the United States. Studies have shown that the average annual COPD-related expenditure is around $4,147. And while 51% of these costs are covered by Medicare according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that still leaves roughly $2,000 a year that COPD patients need to spend out-of-pocket. Combine this with the cost of aging and limited retirement funds and it’s not hard to see why COPD is such a major financial burden for so many people.

There are three main types of respiratory disease: airway diseases, lung tissue diseases, and circulatory diseases. The first type, airway diseases, affect the tubes called bronchioles, usually causing them to narrow, swell, or become filled with a slimy substance called mucus. Airway diseases include asthma, a specific type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) called chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis, a condition that results from recurrent lung infections.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most substantial health burdens in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “chronic lower respiratory disease” (primarily COPD) is fourth on the list of leading causes of death worldwide, behind heart disease, cancer, and unintentional accidents. And despite the fact that fewer people are smoking than ever before, experts are expecting the number of COPD cases to rise within the next 50 years.