DISCHARGE AND AFTERCARE

Discharge Instructions: COPD

August 30, 2018

Discharge Instructions: COPD

You have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is a name given to a group of diseases that limit the flow of air in and out of your lungs. This makes it harder to breathe. With COPD, you are also more likely to get lung infections. COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is most often caused by heavy, long-term cigarette smoking.

Home care

Quit smoking

  • If you smoke, quit. It is the best thing you can do for your COPD and your overall health.

  • Join a stop-smoking program. There are even telephone, text message, and online programs to help you quit.

  • Ask your healthcare provider about medicines or other methods to help you quit.

  • Ask family members to quit smoking as well.

  • Don't allow people to smoke in your home, in your car, or when they are around you.

Protect yourself from infection

  • Wash your hands often. Do your best to keep your hands away from your face. Most germs are spread from your hands to your mouth.

  • Get a flu shot every year. Also ask your provider about pneumonia vaccines.

  • Stay away from crowds. It's especially important to do this in the winter when more people have colds and flu.

  • To stay healthy, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and eat a balanced diet. You should:

    • Get about 8 hours of sleep every night.

    • Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days.

    • Have healthy foods including fruits and vegetables, 100% whole grains, lean meats and fish, and low-fat dairy products. Try to stay away from foods high in fats and sugar.

Take your medicines

Take your medicines exactly as directed. Don't skip doses.

Manage your stress

Stress can make COPD worse. Use this stress management method:

  • Find a quiet place and sit or lie in a comfortable position.

  • Close your eyes and do breathing exercises for several minutes. Ask your provider about the best way to breathe.

Pulmonary rehabilitation

  • Pulmonary rehab can help you feel better. These programs include exercise, breathing methods, information about COPD, counseling, and help for smokers.

  • Ask your provider or your local hospital about programs in your area.

When to call your healthcare provider

Call your provider right away if you have any of the following:

  • Shortness of breath, wheezing, or coughing

  • More mucus

  • Yellow, green, bloody, or smelly mucus

  • Fever or chills

  • Tightness in your chest that does not go away with rest or medicine

  • An irregular heartbeat or a feeling that your heart is beating very fast

  • Swollen ankles

Updated:  

August 30, 2018

Sources:  

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Risk Factors and Risk Reduction. UpToDate

Reviewed By:  

Alan J Blaivas DO,Wanda Taylor RN PhD,Daphne Pierce-Smith RN MSN CCRC