cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Connect with others living with health conditions

Flare-Ups

How to Best Deal With COPD Flare-Ups

People with COPD can end up being hospitalized due to exacerbations, which is when your cough gets worse and you are no longer able to breathe normally. Exacerbations severely decrease lung function, and can even lead be fatal. Really, exacerbation is another name for a flare-up.

COPD patients need to be very vigilant with their care and always be on the lookout for symptoms of a flare-up. Good hygiene and maintaining a healthy diet are really important, as is not breathing in cigarette smoke, or very cold or very humid air.

A COPD action plan is written instructions worked out with your doctor on what you should do when your symptoms flare up. Your COPD action plan will tell you what extra medicine to take, when to call the doctor, and when to go to the emergency room. It’s a plan that will give a measure of peace of mind when a flare-up happens so you know the best steps you should take at that time.

Having exacerbations can cause your COPD to progress faster so doing all you can to prevent them is really important. Being aware of the warning signs is the first step: more wheezing or coughing than what’s normal for you, increase in mucus and change in the color, shallower breathing, fever, confusion or excessive sleepiness, swelling of the ankles or feet.

Some things you can do to take better care of your health are making sure you get your yearly flu shot, staying away from crowds during cold and flu season, drinking plenty of water to thin the mucus, and carrying hand sanitizer for those times when there’s no place to wash with soap and water.

Recovery from an exacerbation varies from person to person. It could take weeks or possibly months. Don’t ignore the warning signs.

https://copdnewstoday.com/social-clips/2017/03/09/how-to-best-deal-with-copd-flare-ups/

I'm still recovering from the last one I had. Looking forward to check backs at the end of April and praying for some recovery of my lung capacity. I went from 60% to 43% in one week. Hopefully some of that is Asthma. Now, don't get me wrong ACOS (asthma/COPD combination) is a very complicated and not good thing! But in this case it's my only hope. 

I had no symptoms from my breathing or mucus. I had heart palpitations! When they said I had pneumonia - my jaw dropped! Now I know to watch the feeling of my heart as well. Fortunately my heart is fine (I was tested every which way there is!) Now we'll see how my lungs are doing after treatments.

Exacerbations can cause big problems!

Labels (1)
Tags (2)
4 Replies
elvan
Member

Having COPD makes you much more aware of your breathing, how you are feeling, and the things that might set you off.  I have had pneumonia several times but not SINCE I quit smoking, only before.  Now I am MUCH more aware and vigilant about my breathing.  I have learned a great deal from YOU, Thomas.  Thank you.

0 Kudos

Thanks for the post Thomas!

 I know what you mean. I'm still doing fairly well. 95% blood oxygen saturation in between exacerbations but when I get a flare up it can drop to low 80's in a day! And when I get that low and try to work, I learned that I just make it worse. I was actually told that I might not be able to work during exacerbations by my pulmanologist but somehow managed to not hear that one little thing. 

 I think when we're first diagnosed for COPD that we don't understand the seriousness of the condition, even when it's mild COPD. I now know that a cold can be a time to take care of myself. A time when I must find a compromise between my old world and the new. I have to accept that I'll never climb a fourteen thousand foot peak again. But that's OK. I got to climb a bunch of them as a younger person and I've got some incredible memories to cherish forever! And the last mountain I climbed, Mt freedom was one that I can still be standing on the summit of whenever I want!

 So yes, it's important to first accept it when you have COPD and then take action to ensure as much quality of life as possible. This can save many years down the road and make them more productive with a higher quality of life. I do watch my symptoms now, including the blood/oxygen levels.

 Chuck

0 Kudos
elvan
Member

I have no excuses, I am a retired RN and I took care of many patients who had COPD.  I remember how anxious they were and how hard it was to comfort them.  Little did I know that I might some day BE one of them...that's not true, there was a PART of me that DID know but denied it until it was very close to too late.

TerrieQuit
Member

Thanks to quitting smoking, I am doing so much better, I haven't had pneumonia and my breathing went from 58 to 66% and blood ox is usually between 95-92%. Thomas, you have provided a wealth of information right here on  EX and I really appreciate you. I have my list of questions ready to ask my pulmonologist when I go and I have a new nebulizer on the way because the one I have started making a loud noise. I would have just let this stuff go before I came to EX!  ~Terrie~