The treatment for the disease involves the regular use of inhalers to help open up the tubes of the lungs, and strategies to prevent lung attacks. It is critical to reducing exposure (cigarette smoke, pollution, biomass fuels) to slow down the progression of the disease, and improve quality of life with measures such as pulmonary rehabilitation and vaccinations against common respiratory pathogens.
The disease is often worsened by infections and changes in air temperatures/seasons, and winters can be difficult for individuals with the disease. Wearing masks when feasible, being regular with inhalers, and getting treated at the earliest signs of worsening are some of the measures that patients with COPD can take to protect themselves.
