COPD For Dummies

Make your home COPD friendly Your reassuring guide to understanding and managing COPD and getting on with your life Want to know more about COPD? This straightforward guide provides clear information about this progressive disease, explaining how to recognize the warning signs, get diagnosed, and choose the best treatment. You'll see how diet, exercise, and medication affect your symptoms and make your life easier. Discover how to: Know your risk factors Find the right doctors Quit smoking, start exercising, and change your diet Improve your overall health Prepare for emergencies Help loved ones with COPD

Introduction 1 Part I: Every Breath You Take: The Who, What, and Why of COPD 7 Chapter 1: Understanding COPD 9 Chapter 2: How Your Lungs Work 21 Chapter 3: COPD Risk Factors 33 Part II: Catching Your Breath: Treating COPD 45 Chapter 4: The Diagnosis and What It Means 47 Chapter 5: The Emotional Impact of COPD 63 Chapter 6: Building Your Healthcare Team 77 Chapter 7: COPD Treatment Goals 95 Chapter 8: Drug Treatments 111 Chapter 9: Surgery and Alternative Treatments 135 Part III: In the Next Breath: Managing Your Overall Health 145 Chapter 10: The First, Best Thing You Can Do: Quit Smoking 147 Chapter 11: Nutrition and Weight Management 165 Chapter 12: Getting Motivated to Move 183 Part IV: Breathing Easier: Living with COPD 199 Chapter 13: A Day in Your Life with COPD 201 Chapter 14: Making Your Home You-Friendly 221 Chapter 15: Clearing the Air at Home 239 Chapter 16: Preparing for Emergencies 251 Chapter 17: Helping a Loved One with COPD 265 Part V: The Part of Tens 279 Chapter 18: Ten Things to Avoid if You Have COPD 281 Chapter 19: Ten Myths about COPD 287 Chapter 20: Ten Strategies for Coping with COPD 293 Chapter 21: Ten (Or So) Health Factors Linked with COPD 299 Glossary 307 Index 319