Those who suffer from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) know this very well. COPD is a progressive lung disease - in other words, it gets worse over time. The most common symptoms are coughing, panting, shortness of breath, chest contractions, and heaviness in breathing.

But there are things you can do to make your life better. Here are the best strategies for living with COPD:

Breathe consciously 

Abdominal and diaphragmatic conscious breathing can help you maintain all your systems in a healthy and balanced rhythm. Also, concentrating on your breath will automatically soothe your system. By slowing down and being present with your breath, you send a message to your body that it is safe. This way, you can allow your breathing to harmonize with the rest of your systems. You can place your hand on your diaphragm or abdomen, depending on which body part you work with, and observe how breath travels from your nose to this body part and comes back again. Look at it as a game, and enjoy the process. Developing a relationship with your own breath and realizing its importance in creating your life is the first thing you must do in order to live more easily with this disease. We often remember our breath only when we are not able to have it. Your body is sending you a message to bring your awareness to your inhales and exhales. Go for it, find the time, be there for yourself.

Take care of yourself, be gentle with yourself

Having any condition or disease means that our body is sending us a message. Sometimes this message is an alarm that we lack something or have too much of something else. This is why it is essential to see what we need and fulfill our needs. So, create your personal time, do what feels right, note the changes in your mood and condition. Please find time to really understand your body, and its needs instead of being mad at the issue you are facing. Relaxation is the opposite of contraction. And we are facing a contraction of the lungs here. We would also recommend doing a daily 5-minute chest and neck self-massage. You can do gentle and circular movements; the pressure does not have to be hard. There is a lot of it in our touch. You can also pat your chest gently with your fingers in order to activate the flow of breath and bring some life to it with conscious contact. Choose your method, choose what inspires you, use your intuition, but please be gentle with your body and give it attention.

How you can keep yourself safe

If you have COPD, your system will be more attractive to germs, so please take extra care of your health. Stay active, exercise, walk, dance and move. Don't let this condition make you stationary, but avoid places where people are sick.

Please, do not smoke. If you want to honor your body, you will have to face this habit and make it an old story. Consider the quality of the air you breathe. Make sure that you respect your system by taking it into clean nature with fresh air. Try not to expose yourself to unhealthy gases. Keep your home clean and use natural products that don't have endless lists of chemicals inside.

Eat consciously. When we overeat, we often find it hard to breathe deeply. Even if we do not suffer from pulmonary disease, our breath becomes shallow on a full stomach. But, for those with COPD, this can be an unnecessary struggle. So, it would be better to eat smaller portions more times a day. It is useful to keep in mind that you will burn more calories because you will put more effort into each breath you take. Therefore, make sure you feed yourself well but don't overdo it. 

Eat protein to strengthen the respiratory muscles - such as eggs, meat, legumes, and so on 

Limit salt intake - it slows down the flow of fluids which makes it easier to breathe.

It is good to lower the levels of sugar and fats in your diet because carbohydrates and fats enhance the production of carbon dioxide (which you do not want in your system)

Don't hesitate to use rescue medications if they are needed

We suppose you do not really enjoy taking medication. But, make sure you have a small amount of your rescue medication by your side always. You never know how much time you will have to react, how things can shift. Sometimes you can get triggered by emotional states or by external situations that can worsen your condition. Even if you take extra good care of yourself, still make sure to have a first-aid kit by your side for the worst-case scenario. And of course, ask questions, talk to your doctor, don't hesitate to inform, and observe your states' course. Be persistent in finding the best solution for yourself!

In conclusion: Avoiding triggers, take care of yourself by breathing and eating consciously, move your body and enjoy fresh air and nature. We are often swamped running around the boxes of our modern lives. Meanwhile, our bodies stay unnoticed. Every disease is our body saying, "Hey, I am here, please take care of me."

Try looking at your body and your condition with a lot of understanding and patience because that is the only way to heal it. 

Ocana Medical Care, located in Tampa, FL, aims to bring you as much information in advance as possible to be sure you have all the knowledge as we do regarding COPD. 

We’re in this together. #ocanacares