Coping with COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. The good news is that COPD is often preventable and treatable. 

At North Jersey Pulmonary Associates Clifton, our team of professionals is committed to your care and well-being. That means will be your partner in care — helping you to manage your COPD and keep symptoms at bay. As your partner in care, we want to develop a trusting relationship with you — one where you will feel comfortable enough to talk to us about your feelings and concerns as it relates to your condition. We will work closely with you and other members involved with your care to create a COPD management plan that is right for you.

Key to good management is knowing the basics:

1. Take the right medicine at the right time: make a chart that shows what to take and when.
2. Set an alarm to ring when it's time for your medicine.
3. Use a weekly pillbox that has sections for each day and different times of the day.
4. Always keep a day of pills with you so that if you are away from home unexpectedly, you'll be able to stick to your medication schedule.
5. When traveling, always keep your medications with you in your carry-on bag.
6. Rinse your mouth with water immediately after using a steroid inhaler to prevent thrush, a yeast infection of the throat.

We’ll help you breathe easy

At the office of North Jersey Pulmonary Associates Clifton, our goal is to ensure your respiratory health and that includes keeping your COPD symptoms under control so you can live the life you want. For more information on our office and the many services we provide, give us a call today.