Here we go again!

[Thomas3.20.2010]

November is National COPD Awareness Month

When you search for COPD on this website there are 5060 results! That leads me to conclude that there is a need and interest in knowing about COPD! Then I added Thomas to the search and got 2750!!!! That's OK! I'm back again to remind everybody newbie and elder to pay attention to your breathing, be aware of the symptoms of COPD and if you have the slightest doubt, get checked out! Ask your Doctor for a Spirometry Test! It's a simple noninvasive breathing test that you can most likely take right there in your Doctor's office and get immediate results!Over HALF of the folks with COPD are undiagnosed and at this very moment, further damaging their lungs not just from smoking but from a lack of effective treatment! Early diagnosis and treatment makes all the difference in the progression of this chronic, progressive, incurable disease! 

WHAT IS COPD? People with COPD have more than one of Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis and/or Emphysema which makes you cough a lot and very, very hard! You have shortness of breath because you can't inhale or exhale properly! Because you can't exhale completely, the CO and CO2 that is normally exhaled stay in your body as a toxin that enters the cells of the extremities and you lose arm and leg function. Also, vision can be affected because of the toxicity. What's more, you are more prone to every viral and bacterial infection that comes along - easier to catch and more intense and prolonged symptoms. Each infection increases the cycle of damage and vulnerability. There is no cure but there is a lot that a patient can do to slow the progress of the disease. Most important is Quit Smoking Now! It's very important to find a pulmonary rehab and join it so they can teach you how to clear those nasty CO toxins from your system! And stay active - all this can be very depressing but the depression adds to the immobility which adds to the debility etc, down, down, down! All that has to be fought with upward action - POSITIVE THINKING and CONTROL the disease - don't let it control you! There is a lot of HOPE and it starts with the QUIT!

http://www.melodika.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=452660&Itemid=50