• Share
• Print
• Text Size A A A

Living Day-to-Day with COPD

Once you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you always have it. So why not make up your mind to breathe better with COPD?

Because COPD is a progressive disease (that is, it tends to worsen over time) it may be some time before you have to make big changes to your lifestyle. And if you take SPIRIVA daily and follow your doctor´s recommendations, you may be able to breathe better.

Here are some basic lifestyle tips that can help when living with COPD.

Follow your doctor´s orders

• Take SPIRIVA, and any other medicines, as prescribed by your doctor.
• Learn how to use your inhalers correctly. Take your inhalers to your next doctor´s appointment so he or she can check that you´re using them correctly. If in doubt, download step-by-step instructions.
• If your doctor recommends lifestyle changes (such as losing weight, exercising, or quitting smoking), make a lifestyle action plan with key dates and specific, achievable goals. You are more likely to succeed if you "cut out 300 calories a day" than if you try to "lose 25 pounds."
• Let your doctor know you´re interested in managing your COPD and you want his/her help (such as with exercise plans or a prescription for stop-smoking aids) to make healthy changes.
• Try to avoid respiratory infections — get a flu shot every year and ask your doctor about a vaccine against pneumonia. And try to avoid people who are sick — even adorable grandchildren.
• Educate yourself. The more you know about your condition, the more you can keep it from taking over your life. Ask your doctor for reliable sources of information. This may include pamphlets, or even good Web sites. This list of reputable sites can get you started.

Pace yourself

• Set priorities — you may not be able to do everything you used to do, but you can save your energy for the things that matter most. Arrange your schedule so you accomplish the most important things first.
• Plan to rest before and after a special occasion.
• Don´t try to do two high-energy activities back-to-back.
• Are you a morning person or a night owl? Plan activities for the times when you naturally have the most energy.
• Don´t lie down after eating — your full stomach can put pressure on your lungs and make it more difficult to breathe.

Rest up

• Get a good night´s sleep and plan at least one rest period each day.
• Try to avoid working long days. If you become tired, stop and rest.
• Save your energy — sit down to brush your teeth or put on makeup.
• Wear clothes that are easy to put on.
• Use tools such as a shoehorn or a shower chair.
• Relax often to prevent stress that can cause you to become short of breath.

Share this page

If you have a friend or a loved one who's having breathing difficulties, you may want to share this information with them so they can learn more about COPD.

What you'll send them is a direct link to this page. Your name will be included so that your friend or loved one will know who sent this email to them. To make sure they receive this, you'll need to fill out all of the fields below.

• Your name Please enter your name.
• Your email address Please enter your email address in the format of name@domain.com.
• Your friend's name Please enter your friend's name.
• Your friend's address Please enter your friend's email address in the format of name@domain.com.

Message sent! To send another, type in another friend's name and email address.

The names and email addresses provided will be used solely to send the link to your friend. This information will not be stored or used for any other purpose than to transmit this message.

You're leaving the SPIRIVA Web site

You are now leaving a Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. site. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has not reviewed the contents of all pages and sites that may be linked to this site. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is not responsible and disclaims any liability for the content of any other page or site or for any viruses or similar harmful programs that may be present on such pages or sites. Linking to any other page or site is at your own risk.

Continue Stay on the SPIRIVA site.