Tips for Healthy Living

If you have COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, there may be some lifestyle changes you can make to help manage your condition:

1. Quit smoking if you have not already.

2. Consider an exercise program.  Pulmonary rehabilitation, which includes exercise, has been shown to improve health-related quality of life for people with COPD. Ask your healthcare provider if this may be right for you.

3. Talk to your healthcare provider about pursed-lip breathing.

   Patients with COPD can use a pursed-lip breathing technique to help with shortness of breath. Pursed-lip breathing is a simple way to slow your breathing and make it more effective. This is particularly effective when you are trying to catch your breath after exertion or work.

   Pursed-Lip Breathing Technique

   • Concentrate on relaxing your shoulder and neck muscles.
   • Inhale slowly, taking in a normal breath.
   • Pucker your lips, sometimes called "pursed lips."
   • Exhale while keeping your lips pursed, as if you are breathing out through a straw. Try to exhale for at least four seconds. Sometimes it helps if you count to yourself while exhaling: one, two, three, four.

4. Eat a low-fat, low-salt diet.  Excess weight or retained water makes the lungs and heart work harder.

5. Drink enough water.  Chronic coughing is easier on your system if you keep well hydrated. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider first if medical conditions require that you watch your fluid intake.

6. Talk to your healthcare provider about controlled coughing.

   Some patients who suffer from COPD may have a chronic cough or produce excessive “sputum,” sometimes called mucus. Controlled coughing is a technique to help these patients cough more effectively.

   Controlled Coughing Technique

   • Sit in an upright position in a chair or on the side of the bed. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor and your body is leaning slightly forward.
   • Fold your arms across your belly and take a slow, deep breath.
   • Then lean slightly forward and press your arms against your belly. Keep your mouth slightly open and cough two to three times. Concentrate on making the coughs short and sharp, not long and drawn out.
   • This technique works by loosening the mucus on the first cough and then clearing the mucus out of the airway on the remaining coughs.
   • Next, breathe in through your nose. Try to breathe lightly and without force. The light breathing will help to keep the mucus from moving back into your lungs.
   • Take a break and relax.
   • Repeat if necessary.

7. Try to relax. It's natural to worry about COPD, but there are things you can do to manage anxiety. Talk to your healthcare provider.

8. Avoid people who have colds and other respiratory infections.  These can make your symptoms worse.

Approved Uses for ADVAIR DISKUS 250/50

ADVAIR DISKUS 250/50 is approved for adults with COPD, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. ADVAIR DISKUS is not for, and should not be used to treat, sudden, severe symptoms of COPD. ADVAIR won’t replace a rescue inhaler. You should only take 1 inhalation of ADVAIR twice a day. Higher doses will not provide additional benefits.