Living Well With Lung Disease: Respiratory Health
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Living well with lung disease
Even more than with many other chronic illnesses, quality of life for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hinges on how actively they participate in their treatment. This means not just taking your medicine or other treatment as directed, but also incorporating practices into your daily routine to prevent infections, control your symptoms, and make daily activities like dressing and bathing easier. COPD is not necessarily a progressive disease; there are many steps you can take to continue enjoying the activities you do. There's often a positive snowball effect when you take an active role in managing your disease — you feel more in control, so you feel better psychologically and physically. Feeling better boosts your spirits, which then helps you maintain a sense of control and well-being. The following sections describe some of the steps you can take.
| Last updated: | May 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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