COPD is more common in autumn and winter! Experts remind you to do these five things to avoid recurrence of the disease

COPD, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a common chronic disease in clinical practice. The number of patients in my country is nearly 100 million. The incidence, disability and mortality rates are all high, seriously affecting the patients' lung function and quality of life.

Recently, the author learned from Hunan Provincial Second People's Hospital (Provincial Brain Hospital) that due to the recent large changes in temperature, the number of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admitted to the hospital has also been on the rise.

Grandpa Liu, 80 years old, has suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for many years. He is hospitalized many times every year due to difficulty breathing. His demand for oxygen is increasing, but his body is getting weaker and weaker.

Recently, due to the large temperature difference between morning and evening, Grandpa Liu accidentally caught a cold and developed respiratory failure. He was admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine of the Hunan Provincial Second People's Hospital (Provincial Brain Hospital) . After careful diagnosis and treatment by the team led by the department director Lv Xuewen , Grandpa Liu has been successfully transferred to the general ward and will be discharged home soon.

So, how should COPD patients manage themselves while at home, how can they avoid recurrence of the disease in autumn and winter, improve their quality of life and improve their prognosis?

Yang Yongkang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province (Provincial Brain Hospital), reminds all COPD patients that if they want to visit the hospital less often, they should perform the following five types of self-management on a daily basis:

1. Quit smoking

Long-term smoking can damage the elasticity of alveoli, thin the alveolar walls, damage cells, and lead to tissue destruction. Tobacco smoke increases sputum volume and affects airway patency. Tobacco smoke can also damage the cilia of airway epithelial cells and weaken the airway's cleaning ability.

In addition, smoking changes the immune response of the lungs, causing the immune system to respond less effectively to pathogens and allergens, increasing the risk of infection. Quitting smoking is a key measure to prevent and slow the progression of COPD. By quitting smoking, you can reduce the inhalation of harmful substances, reduce airway inflammation, improve lung function, slow disease progression, and reduce the risk of acute exacerbations.

2. Improve Immunity

Patients with COPD usually have weak immunity, and are easily infected when exposed to bacteria or viruses. For example, if they catch a cold, symptoms such as coughing, sputum, and wheezing will worsen. In severe cases, the lungs, heart, and bronchi may also be affected.

Therefore, COPD patients must enhance their immunity and can appropriately carry out aerobic exercises such as Tai Chi, aerobics, swimming, square dancing, etc. They can also get influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine to prevent respiratory infections.

3. Do a good job of keeping warm

In daily life, we should take measures to keep warm and add or remove clothes in time according to weather changes to prevent colds. Wear multiple layers of clothing, protect your head, hands, neck and ears, and wear a mask when going out to avoid the stimulation of cold air.

Keep indoor air circulating, clean the filters of air conditioners and air purifiers regularly, and reduce allergens. When going out in winter, try to choose the warmer noon time, or go out less when the temperature is lower.

4. Practice pursed lip breathing

Pursed lip breathing means breathing in calmly through your nose, then pursing your lips as you exhale, slowly exhaling. Count 1, 2, 3 silently while inhaling, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 silently while exhaling, gradually lengthening the exhalation time.

Practice 3-4 times a day, 15-30 minutes each time. Adjust the degree of lip retraction and exhalation flow rate by yourself, so that the candle flame at the same level 15-20cm away from the lips tilts with the airflow without being extinguished.

5. Practice abdominal breathing

Lie on your back or sit up, relax your whole body, put your right hand on your belly and navel, and your left hand on your chest. When you inhale, breathe in through your nose to expand your abdomen as much as possible (feeling your hand on your abdomen lifting up), and when you exhale, breathe out through your mouth to contract your abdomen as much as possible (feeling your hand on your abdomen falling down). Do this 1-2 times a day, 5-15 minutes each time.

Notes on abdominal breathing: 1. Breathe deeply and slowly, try to inhale through your nose and blow out through your mouth; keep each inhalation and exhalation within 15 seconds, take a deep breath (belly bulges) for 3-5 seconds, hold your breath for 1 second, then exhale slowly (belly retracts) for 3-5 seconds, hold your breath for 1 second. 2. Do it for 5-15 minutes each time, 30 minutes is best, and practice 1-2 times a day.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Yan Jiao, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hunan Second People's Hospital (Provincial Brain Hospital)

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(Edited by YT)