Building Healthier Communities

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• Building Healthier Communities

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Agenda

• What is COPD
• Quick COPD test
• Managing Your COPD
• Eight tips for your next visit to the doctor
• BreathWorks Prime Plan

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What is COPD?

• A disease of the lungs that makes it difficult to
  move air into and out of your lungs
• It causes the airways of the lungs to be inflamed
  and become blocked
• There is no cure but you can take steps to slow
  the progress of the disease and stabilize it

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What is COPD?

• It includes two major breathing diseases
• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema

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Emphysema

• Damages and destroys lung tissue
• Develop large air pockets
• Lose snap back ability
• You struggle to catch a breath and feel
  fatigued

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Chronic bronchitis

• Irritation of the airways of the lungs which
  causes to produce extra mucus
• You cough, spit and work hard to draw a breath

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Quick COPD Test

• Are you a smoker or former smoker, 40 years old
  or older?
• Do you have a cough with mucus that doesnt go
  away?
• Do you get a lot of chest infections?
• Do you get short of breath while doing simple
  activities?
• If you answered yes to being a smoker or
  ex-smoker and one of the other questions, you may
  be at risk for COPD. Ask your doctor for a
  breathing test.

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Is COPD a smokers disease?

• Smoking is the major known risk factor
• About 15 to 20 of smokers develop COPD
• Many sufferers experience a sense of guilt
• If at first you dont succeed

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Managing Your COPD

• Develop your own personal preventative
  maintenance plan
• Prevent and slow the progression of your COPD
• Relieve your symptoms
• Improve your health and ability to be physically
  active
• Manage your COPD by preventing and treating your
  flare-ups
• Establish your COPD team

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8 tips for your next doctors visit

• Always prepare a list your questions
• Keep a list of the symptoms you are suffering
• Bring along all the medications you are taking
• Bring paper to record what the doctor tells you
• Bring along a relative or friend
• Get ready to ask questions
• Ask the doctor if there are community resources
  that could help you
• Call the office if you dont understand something.

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Prevent Progress

• Get help to quit smoking
• 1-866-717-COPD (2673)
• www.lung.ca/breathworks

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Relieve your symptoms

• Use medications
• Control your breathing and conserve energy
• Avoid things which irritate your COPD

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Irritants

• Smog
• Chemical indoors such as paint varnish,
  hairspray, perfume
• Cold air/ hot air/humidity/wind
• Strong odors
• What bothers you?

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Improve Your Health

• The vicious circle of breathlessness
• Exercise regularly
• Eat well and keep your weight in check
• Enjoy and maintain sexual intimacy
• Take control and ask for help when you need it

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Prevent and Treat Flare-ups

• Avoid flare-ups
• Eat right, exercise regularly, sleep, avoid
  people who are sick
• Wash your hands
• Get annual flu shot
• Get pneumonia vaccine
• Get H1N1 vaccine

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Early Warning Signs of Flare-up

• An unusual increase in the amount, thickness of
  stickiness of mucus
• A change in the colour of mucus to either yellow,
  green or brown
• A fever
• An unusual increase in shortness of breath
• The onset of chest pain
• A general feeling of being unwell

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Early Warning Signs of Flare-up

• Swelling of the ankles
• The need to increase the number of pillow to
  sleep
• Frequent morning headaches, dizzy spells,
  difficulty sleeping, restlessness, or signs of
  confusion
• The development of blue lips or fingers

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Early Warning Signs of Flare-up

• If you notice any of these without improvement
  for 24 hours, contact your doctor or go to the
  hospital

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Establish Your COPD team

• Friends
• Family
• Pharmacist
• Doctor
• Lung Association

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Questions or Comments?