What can an older ex-smoker (who gave up smoking entirely 35 years ago) and who now has early-stage emphysema do to help herself?
Barry Make, MD– Stopping cigarette smoking is great and you need to be congratulated for that. That should have been a shake of your hand, not my head. Preventing infections with flu shots and pneumonia shots will help keep you healthy. Stay away from others who smoke and second-hand smoke. Medications may be helpful in preventing worsening as well – bronchodilators to keep your lung passages open for example. You may also want to consider pulmonary rehab.It might be helpful to think about what signs should lead you to call your doctor right away. When people with COPD get worse, we call this an “exacerbation.” This is marked by a change in one or more of the following: increase in shortness of breath, increase in cough or sputum production, a change in sputum color to more yellow, green or brown. If you have these symptoms for a day or more, then you should call your doctor. You may need an antibiotic and / or a steroid pill to help your symptoms and prevent you from getting worse.Ba
