Is your home causing you shortness of breath?

In most cases, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can keep symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, or sputum under control. However, being aware of your COPD triggers — especially in your home — can help you avoid exacerbations.

Rid your home of these allergens and lung irritants to improve your COPD symptoms:

•Dust mites: These hardy creatures, invisible to the naked eye, can burrow into furniture upholstery and worsen symptoms for people with COPD.

•Pet dander: Although your dog may bring lots of love into your home, he also sheds dander and tiny flakes of dead skin. People with COPD or allergies may experience reactions to pet dander, saliva, or urine.

•Mold and mildew: Mold grows in moist places — like around your kitchen sink or in your bathroom and can be a health hazard for people with respiratory issues like COPD, asthma, and allergies.

•Cleaning products: Although a clean home is important, the products you use matter, too.
Aerosol and spray cleaners contain volatile organic compounds, which can make COPD symptoms worse.

The biggest myth about COPD is that you can't do anything about it. Although there is no cure for COPD, it can be treated and managed in many people. How well COPD can be treated depends on how advanced it is and what other diseases may be present, such as hypertension and heart disease.

Want to help someone quit smoking? Don't nag...

Consider the five “R's" — talking points and advice for encouragement and motivation:

Relevance - talk about how important it is to quit, relating information to your loved one’s life.
Risks -talk about the risks of smoking with COPD.
Rewards - talk about the benefits of quitting.
Roadblocks - identify things that can get in the way of quitting.
Repetition - deciding to quit is a process and can require repeated attempts, so be patient.

Repeat your motivation each time your loved one tries to quit.

Help them identify smoking triggers and encourage your loved to plan for them to help avoid a smoking relapse. The following are a few ideas to help your "special person" to quit smoking:

Tips to keep your loved one's mind of of smoking:

Keep your home smoke-free and remove lighters and ashtrays that may serve as triggers.
Celebrate success, recognizing that every day without smoking is a victory.
Expect and accept some grumpiness during the nicotine withdrawal phase.
Recognize that an occasional slip is common and doesn't mean failure.

Smoking continues to remain the leading cause of COPD. The more a person smokes, the more likely that person will develop COPD. There is no cure for COPD. However, there are many things you can do to relieve symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse such as to stop smoking.

Having a loved one with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) who can't or won't quit smoking can be very frustrating and frightening. Smoking is not only the main cause of COPD — quitting smoking is the most important part of treatment. COPD symptoms will continue to get worse and COPD exacerbations are unavoidable unless your loved one can quit smoking. What can you do to help?

Nagging, scolding, and preaching are the worst approaches. Start by recognizing how difficult and frustrating it is to quit smoking. Accept that the decision to quit smoking has to be their decision, not yours. The best way to help is to let your loved one know that you are there for support no matter what.

Part of a smoking treatment plan is behavior modification. That means avoiding situations that lead to smoking and learning other behaviors to deal with stress or boredom. If you go out together to a place where people are smoking, plan ahead and have a signal for when the temptation is getting too high.

Smoking treatment may also include medications and support groups. Encourage your loved one to ask for help and to take advantage of employee wellness benefits that often include smoking cessation prorams.

Weather and temperature changes can trigger COPD symptons

Weather changes are one of many factors that can trigger your COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)symptoms. Symptoms of COPD, which include shortness of breath, cough, and phlegm production, tend to get worse for some people when the air is very cold and when it is hot and humid.

"Weather extremes are not good," says Barry Make, MD, co-director of the COPD program at the University of Colorado in Denver. Dr. Make says that temperatures below freezing or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit tend to cause COPD symptoms to flare up.

When It's Cold and Windy -

Cold air and strong winds are known triggers for the worsening of COPD symptoms. Many people with COPD find that cold air can make it harder to breathe, leading to shortness of breath and wheezing. Frigid temperatures can also cause fatigue. "COPD patients just feel like they are more tired after they've been in the cold," explains Make.

Windy days can be practically problematic. "If COPD patients go out when it is windy and have to walk against the wind, there is more resistance," says Make. Therefore, it requires more exertion to walk, which can be difficult for someone with COPD.

If cold and windy climates bother you, try wearing a scarf or face mask loosely over your nose and mouth, and breathe through your nose on wintry days. The winter muffler and breathing through your nose warms the air before it enters your lungs, which can help