These Lifestyle Changes Can Help Keep Lung Disease At Bay

Have you ever felt an inability to breathe freely? Something like you is unable to take in a required amount of oxygen and the airflow in your lungs is not as much as you need? Well, that COPD, a respiratory disease the windpipe narrows and limits air flow. Breathing takes place but it deals with resistance. Commonly referred as Chronic Bronchitis, this one is a progressive disease.

The major triggers if COPD is smoking, exposure to harmful gases and air pollution. The conditions of the national capital are good enough for the people to develop COPD. With high levels of smog, it is quite challenging for people to protect themselves from the ill-effects of pollution.

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And it's not just Delhi, people in rural areas are also exposed to smoke from biomass fuels and other forms of pollution coming from industries. So, be it the rural areas or the national capital itself, few are safe against pollution. In such a scenario, protecting oneself against COPD is one tough task.

There have been a number of developments in the medical field for treating this condition. But there still aren't any developments in the field of medicine to reverse this condition. As a result, there is need to seek help in the non-medical options available to us.

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"Lifestyle modifications are very important for a holistic approach towards the management of COPD," Dr Vishwanath Bellad, Consultant Pulmonologist at the BGS Gleneagles Global Hospitals explains.

So here's a list of lifestyle modifications you can make to keep oneself safe from COPD:

1. Quit smoking

One of the major triggers of COPD is smoking. Once you stop smoking, the progression of this condition comes to an end. The overall functioning of lungs can be improved with this step itself.

2. Occupational safety

If you work in an industry or a factory, you are bound to be exposed to smoke and pollution. You can't alter the procedures completely but you can switch to safer engineering techniques and protective measures for the same. Go for regular medical checkups, and assessments of your lung function so as to ensure that any disease can be screened in initial stages and can be treated as well.

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3. Diet

COPD leads to the retention of carbon dioxide in the blood. Needless to explain how contagious that can be for you, you may end up with weakness and significant loss in muscle mass. And if you are obese, risk factors like strokes and heart attacks increase significantly. So, you must opt for a diet rich in proteins and low in terms of carbs.

4. Exercise

Practice Pranayama to cope with breathlessness in COPD. Also, you can practice exercises for lower and upper limbs for patients who wish to cope with this disease and restore respiratory functions.

A program named pulmonary rehabilitation is where all these modifications are recommended for patients. Be a part of such programs and incorporate these changes into your lifestyle for a better management of COPD.

With inputs from ANI