If you have COPD, the first sign that something was not right was likely feeling shortness of breath, to the point that you wanted to see your doctor about it. It also could have been that incessant cough throughout the day and night.

No matter what way you look at it, living with COPD is a challenge. It makes it difficult to breathe, difficult to stay active, and leads to physical decline that makes it difficult to do all kinds of everyday activities.

If you don't already know how beneficial oxygen therapy is for people with COPD and other respiratory chronic conditions this blog post will explain all of the reasons this therapy can make such a big difference their lives. 

Dealing with equipment issues as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient is just a part of the process. The equipment can be the most top of the line quality and you still may have malfunctions or trouble getting the equipment to work within your lifestyle.

Happy Winter Solstice! But for many it is not a “happy” time of year. The winter blues, winter funk, or seasonal affective disorder— Doesn’t matter what you call it, it can be debilitating.

Palliative care is a type of treatment designed specifically to provide comfort and support to people with serious chronic diseases. Unfortunately, despite the many benefits it can offer COPD patients, palliative care is extremely under-utilized by people with COPD.

Vitamin D is an important part of everyone's diet, and if you aren’t getting enough vitamin D or if your body is not processing it correctly, you might notice the negative impacts this can have on your health. If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, getting the right vitamins and minerals can be the difference between a good day and a horrible day, or a day spent at home or a day spent in the hospital. 

Mask-wearing is uncomfortable for just about everyone, but people with COPD and other breathing disorders have more reason than most to complain. Having a serious respiratory disease can legitimately make breathing through a face mask more difficult, even though face coverings are not actually dangerous for people with COPD (as most doctors agree).

Nowadays, we rely on our devices for just about everything. Cellphones, for example, are used for everything from making calls and sending text messages to tracking our fitness progress or staying connected with online communities. If you’ve been diagnosed with COPD or another chronic respiratory ailment, this reliance on technology doesn’t go away. In some cases, you might even be more dependent on technology than previously. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though as long as you’re using devices that are reliable and match your lifestyle.

If you've spent much time at all reading about COPD online, you've probably come across articles and advertisements for “natural” therapies and alternative treatments for COPD. These include things like vitamin supplements, lung detox cleanses, and unconventional medical treatments (like stem cell therapy) that claim to relieve COPD symptoms, regenerate lung function, or even cure chronic lung disease.