This excess mucus can make you feel like you need to cough more, in turn leaving you out of breath trying to cough up mucus. The walls of the airways become inflamed or destroyed, which can produce more mucus and possible block air flow. The smoke can damage the airways as well as the small air sacs in the lungs, making them lose their elasticity. Smoke is an irritant to your lungs, damaging them and making it harder on you to breathe or catch your breath. Staying away from harsh smoke such as tobacco smoke, can make it easier on your lungs and help you feel less out of breath. Though smoking can be addictive, cutting it out of your life can change the outcome of your diagnosis dramatically.Įven secondhand smoke can affect your lungs, and also increase your risk of COPD, so avoid anyone smoking tobacco products until they are done. Smoking at a young age can stun the growth of the lungs, and it can then increase the risk of COPD as an adult. Smoking is the cause of 8 out of 10 COPD-related deaths, and yet 39% of COPD patients continue to smoke, in the U.S. There are 3 very important things to prevent it from getting worse, and they can be difficult to do, but also can be more beneficial that other minor changes.Ĭommon among doctors, the recommendation to quit smoking is one with the most benefits. Though it can feel like a COPD diagnosis means its terminal, it does not always get worse and there are ways to try and stop it from getting worse. How progressive the disease can get all depends on your level of self-care, but it can be a lot to ask to change every aspect of your life. There are a few ways to prevent your COPD from worsening, and it is not changing your whole life!

Having to change every aspect of your daily routine can be a lot to ask of you, as sometimes new things just aren’t comfortable. After scrolling through lists telling you that you need to change everything about your lifestyle in order to stop your COPD from worsening, it seems better to give up versus changing your lifestyle.

3 ways to prevent a jumpcut