Learn About Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program that helps you to breathe as well as possible through various methods of exercise, education and support.

Assessment

Pulmonary rehabilitation can help to manage the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the best way for you to live a healthier lifestyle that is less inhibited by your symptoms. To qualify for the program, you need to have a referral from your doctor with spirometry test to show that you have COPD.

At the beginning of the pulmonary rehabilitation program, you will have a consultation with the medical team about the history of your health, lifestyle and current symptoms. During this conversation, goals are usually set according to what is most important to you in improving your overall health.

Exercise

Exercise is an important part of pulmonary rehabilitation but can be difficult if the symptoms of COPD such as shortness of breath leave you feeling tired as soon as you begin.

During rehabilitation, your heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen level can be measured while you engage in light physical activity, such as walking. If you can only walk slowly or for short periods due to shortness of breath in the beginning, you can use supplemental oxygen to help. In this way, you can do physical activity safely and gradually improve your pulmonary function.

Education

Learning about your condition, medications you may need to take, breathing techniques to manage symptoms and how to go about daily tasks without exacerbating symptoms is an important part of pulmonary rehabilitation.

There are various aspects of this education, including medical advice, nutrition advice, lifestyle advice and coping techniques. The aim is to allow you to understand the condition better so that you can respond to the changes of your body in the best way.

Support

Community and support is an important aspect of human health and individual wellbeing. Discussing struggles or experiences with other people who have the same condition can help you to feel understood and cope with the symptoms and changes associated with COPD.

Additionally, many people with COPD develop psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and panic disorder. Have access to a strong support network can help you to deal with struggles in a positive way.

Want to know more?

If you suffer from COPD and would like to participate in pulmonary rehabilitation, you should seek help from a medical professional. At Central Arkansas Lung, we will be happy to give you personalized advice and have a rehabilitation program to help you improve your quality of life with COPD.

Simply call us if you’d like more information or to organize an appointment to discuss your situation.

Further Reading

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/319885-overview
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Understanding_COPD/hic_Pulmonary_Rehabilitation_Is_it_for_You
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pulreh
https://www.copdfoundation.org/Learn-More/Pulmonary-Rehabilitation/What-is-Pulmonary-Rehabilitation.aspx