Education: Diet/Lifestyle

Nutrition

Having a nutritious diet can be challenging when you're dealing with the daily symptoms of lung disease, but it's important to do everything you can to stay healthy. Being overweight can hinder your ability to breathe, as excess body fat can put pressure on your lungs. At the same time, being underweight is also a problem, because it means you don't have enough energy coming in to deal with the increased effort to breathe properly. Here are some nutritional tips to keep in mind when planning your next meal:

Diets high in protein will increase your energy and keep your body healthy and more able to fight off infection.
Avoid foods that can cause gas, such as beans, certain kinds of vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, and carbonated sodas and beer. These can cause bloating, which puts more pressure on your chest and lungs.
If you are experiencing dyspnea when eating, you may want to alter your meal schedule. Try eating more small meals rather than three large ones per day, and try to take smaller bites of food so that it's easier to breathe.
Limit your salt intake, because it can make you retain fluids that will hinder breathing.
Limit your caffeine intake, as it may interfere with your medications.
If you use oxygen, wear your cannula while eating and while digesting.
Choose foods that are easy to prepare, and eat at regular times so that your body can become accustomed to having regular energy throughout the day.
Vitamin supplements and antioxidants have not been shown effective to relieve or reduce the symptoms of lung disorders. Too much of some vitamins may actually make your symptoms worse. Speak with your doctor before starting any sort of vitamin regimen.

If you are overweight, your doctor may encourage you to slim down a little bit. In addition to exercise, changing your diet is an effective way to do this. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar, and focus on simple, balanced meals high in protein and fiber.

For more information, speak with your doctor or nurse about how to develop better eating habits, and visit the OxygeNation Community for suggestions, recipes, and help with your new lifestyle

Exercise

Developing an exercise routine will not only help your body, it will also help your state of mind. We're not talking about strenuous activities—just simple, low-impact exercise that can help you develop better lung capacity, increase blood flow and energy, and help you lose weight if you need to. Set reasonable goals for yourself, and increase them, as you get more confident. Pick things that you enjoy, whether it's going for a walk, doing some light aerobics, or just climbing the stairs in your house. Try to exercise with someone else if you can, since it will help to push you farther. Set your own pace, and stop if you feel any discomfort. For most patients, exercising for 30 minutes 3 times a week should be enough to see and feel a difference.

Here are some specific exercises for people with COPD and other lung disorders that focus specifically on your lungs and breathing. These are very simple and should be done every day if you can.

Pursed-Lip Breathing Exercise

Your doctor may teach you how to do this one. This is a technique that allows you to improve your ventilation and reduce the amount of air that gets trapped in your lungs. It's a way to relieve any feelings of shortness of breath as well.

Sit up straight, but stay relaxed.
Breath in through your nose.
Purse your lips, as if to take a sip of something or to whistle.
SLOWLY breathe out through your lips, taking about twice as long as it took to breathe in.
Repeat several times a day, especially when feeling symptoms of breathlessness.

Diaphragm Exercise

Your diaphragm is the muscle in your chest that helps you breathe more efficiently. People with lung problems don't use their diaphragm as much anymore, and this exercise will help you regain it. The stronger your diaphragm is, the less effort it will take for you to breathe.

Lie on your back if you can, or if your doctor recommends it you can sit upright in a chair.
Place one hand on your stomach, and the other on your chest.
Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your stomach rise and your chest stay the same.
Exhale through pursed lips as in the first exercise, letting your stomach fall and keeping your chest the same.
Do this two or three times a day for a few minutes.

Leg Lifts

For people with less mobility, keeping your blood flowing is very important. You already aren't getting as much oxygen as your body needs, and when you combine this with a very sedentary lifestyle it can cause additional problems in your circulatory system. This exercise is very easy and very effective.

Sit in a chair with your back as straight as possible.
Raise one leg and breathe in through your nose at the same time.
Lower your leg as you breathe out through pursed lips like in the other exercises.
Repeat ten times per leg, three times per day.

Smoking

Smoking is the number one cause of many lung disorders, including COPD. Chances are that smoking is what got you here in the first place. So why are you still doing it?

Cigarette smoke is very irritating. It causes asthma attacks, kills the air sacs in your lungs, and damages your airways greatly. For patients with COPD, cigarette smoke can help the disease get worse. Smoking makes your airways constrict and causes you to produce a lot of mucus, which can in turn hinder your ability to breathe. Cigarettes have chemicals in them, which prevent a proper amount of oxygen from reaching your bloodstream. And beyond that, cigarettes cause cancer and other diseases that will complicate the battle you're already fighting.

No matter if you have emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or asthma—anything, really—smoking will make your disease much worse. Even just a couple of cigarettes a day. You have to quit, and you have to do it now.

Smoking and Oxygen Therapy

Beyond the health reasons, smoking in the same house as an oxygen tank, concentrator, or any sort of home oxygen equipment is EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. Oxygen makes things burn faster. Any kind of flame, including a lit cigarette, can cause a very dangerous fire or even an explosion. Never smoke while using your oxygen equipment, and don't let anyone else smoke in your house either. Your home medical equipment provider may deny giving you oxygen equipment until you have quit smoking—yet another reason to quit as soon as possible.

Resources and Information to Quit Smoking

For many people, quitting smoking is one of the hardest things they will ever do. It takes willpower, and it takes the right kind of help. You have to be really ready to quit smoking, both physically and mentally.

The first step is to think about your life, and how you have ended up with a serious lung disorder. Is smoking really worth it? Think back to when you didn't smoke. Recognize that there is life without cigarettes—a stronger, healthier life. Make up your mind to quit, for yourself and for your friends and loved ones. It's time.

It may take a few tries to completely break the habit. Quitting cold turkey works for some, but most people need some help. Look into support groups in your area. Talk with your doctor or nurse for advice. If you think it will help, look into the over-the-counter quitting aids that are available, such as the nicotine patch and chewing gum.

Talk to the OxygeNation Community about quitting. There are lots of ex-smokers who are ready to share their secrets and give support to new patients who are trying to quit for the first time.

The following websites have more information to help you quit. We encourage you to explore every option, and choose the best path to putting out cigarettes for good.