Teaching about the disease and rehabilitation

Knowledge about COPD is important in order to be able to live as well as possible with the disease. Therefore, healthcare has good routines for giving it to you. It is often given in the form of meetings as soon as possible after it has been clarified that you have COPD. You will receive information from a doctor, nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietitian and counselor. Then you and others with the same diagnosis gather in a group.

The teaching and rehabilitation usually includes group discussions where you can learn from other participants' experiences.

Physical activity and exercise

The more physically active you are, the slower the disease develops. This applies regardless of how much your lungs are affected.

Regular physical activity and exercise leads to improved physical ability and muscle function, which leads to reduced shortness of breath during physical activity.

A physiotherapist can help you try out a suitable program that also includes instructions for breathing techniques. Proper breathing technique will allow you to handle the activities in a better way. It is important that you learn how to be active even during periods of deterioration to prevent loss of muscle function.

If you have problems with a lot of mucus and cough, you should get a program to remove the mucus as effectively as possible. You can try a breathing aid that provides resistance when you exhale. It helps to loosen the mucus and can facilitate your breathing. This is also called PEP breathing, Positive Expiratory Pressure or Positive Expiratory Pressure.

Breathe properly

An occupational therapist can give you advice on how you can best save your energy and breathe in the right way to cope with what you want to do. Hen can also assess which aids can make your everyday life easier

Diet

Weight loss and malnutrition are common in COPD. It is therefore important that you get help from a dietitian if you lose weight involuntarily or if you already have a low weight. If you lose weight, you often lose muscle mass and muscle strength, which leads to poorer strength and increased shortness of breath. Feel free to weigh yourself regularly.