People with COPD often experience fatigue. But, managing symptoms by working closely with a doctor or therapist can help improve energy levels. Making specific lifestyle changes, such as improving sleep, eating healthfully, and exercising, can also help combat COPD fatigue and improve quality of life.
COPD can get worse from an infection (such as a cold or pneumonia), from being around someone who is smoking, or from air pollution. Other health problems, such as congestive heart failure or a blood clot in the lungs, can make COPD worse. Sometimes no cause can be found.
Fried foods in excess aren't good for anyone, but they are especially problematic for people with COPD. The grease required for frying can cause gas, and fried spicy food causes indigestion. This may exhibit difficulty in breathing. Avoid spicy and fried food if you have COPD.
Practice holding a gentle stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, slowly breathing in and out. Repeat this a few times. Aerobic exercise is good for your heart and lungs and allows you to use oxygen more efficiently. Walking, biking and swimming are great examples of aerobic exercise.
However, there are also many foods that act as lung cleansers and strengthen your lungs. Foods like green leafy vegetables, garlic, citrus fruits, berries, and ginger are great foods for detoxing the lungs and keeping them healthy.
Drinking plenty of water is important not only to keep you hydrated, but also to help keep mucus thin for easier removal. Talk with your doctor about your water intake. A good goal for many people is 6 to 8 glasses (8 fluid ounces each) daily.
A COPD Breakfast
And since you should be getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber every day, starting with a bowl of bran cereal and whole wheat toast gets you headed in the right direction.
In general, COPD progresses gradually — symptoms first present as mild to moderate and slowly worsen over time. Often, patients live with mild COPD for several decades before the disease progresses to moderate or severe.
Common symptoms of COPD include: shortness of breath – this may only happen when exercising at first, and you may sometimes wake up at night feeling breathless. a persistent chesty cough with phlegm that does not go away. frequent chest infections.
Sleeping on your side is considered the best position for keeping airways open. You'll also want to keep your head propped up with a pillow. Not only is sleeping on your side the best position for COPD; it also will make sleeping with COPD much more comfortable.
Sleep troubles are common in those who suffer from COPD. People who have a hard time breathing at night due to COPD may wake frequently and have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, View Source throughout the night. Overall reduced sleep time and sleep quality may also occur.
Fatigue is the second most common symptom in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite its high prevalence, fatigue is often ignored in daily practice.
The ALA recommends that people with COPD eat 20 to 30 grams of fiber each day. Fiber-rich foods include: Whole wheat bread.
Add high protein/high fat snacks such as a 5-10% Milk Fat (MF) Greek yogurt, toast + peanut butter, scrambled eggs and toast, snack on cheese, olives, nuts. Drinking a meal replacement shake such as Boost/Ensure can be helpful between meals or as a drink after a meal.
Dairy Products
To expel the excess mucus and phlegm, the body generally coughs it out. For patients with COPD, coughing and wheezing can lead to a significant amount of discomfort. Common foods and beverages containing dairy that should be consumed less frequently include milk, ice cream and cheese.
Potassium-Rich Foods
Without enough potassium, your lungs may not expand and contract properly—a risk that those with COPD can't afford. You'll want to provide your body with plenty of potassium for proper lung function. Try to incorporate foods such as avocados, asparagus, beets, and dark leafy greens.
Water is very important for your body to be able to function properly. For example, water helps regulate your temperature, gets rid of wastes and lubricates your joints. It is very important for people with COPD because it helps to thin mucus making it easier to cough up.
Therefore, eating fruits high in antioxidants, such as blueberries and strawberries, may help reduce symptoms. For example, a 2020 study found that participants with COPD who ate grapefruit had better lung function than those who did not.
Cleaning your lungs may be as simple as sipping hot tea—green tea, specifically. Green tea is packed with inflammation-reducing antioxidants, and some research suggests that it may help protect lung tissue from the harmful impacts of smoke inhalation.