Coping with COPD

Book excerpt: Coping with COPD: Understanding, Treating, and Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the first hands-on guide to living and coping with an insidious disease that affects tens of millions of people Experts estimate that as many as thirty-five million Americans literally cannot catch their breath--they are suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The fourth-leading cause of death in America, COPD is a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema with airflow obstruction. In this clear, concise, and up-to-date guide to dealing with and living well with COPD, readers will learn: - How to navigate activities of daily living, from applying make-up to continuing work - How to quit smoking--at any age - How oxygen therapy may help you - How to tailor diet to meet new nutritional needs - How to foster a useful patient/doctor relationship and how and when to visit a pulmonologist - How to tailor your diet to meet your new dietary needs