November is COPD Awareness Month

Posted November 7th, 2011 by mfoster & filed under Blog, Member News, Newsroom.

COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.  COPD causes people to have trouble breathing.  COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the United States.  The disease kills more than 120,000 Americans each year – that’s 1 death every 4 minutes – and causes serious, long-term disability.  The number of people with COPD is increasing.  More than 12 million people are diagnosed with COPD and an additional 12 million likely have the disease and don’t even know it.

Dr. Jennifer Gholson, Chief Medical Officer for Magnolia Health Plan, advises people who have COPD to:

• Avoid smoking.  Stay away from people when they smoke.
• Avoid fireplaces and anywhere that has smoke or air pollution.
• Get your flu shot and pneumonia shot.  These vaccinations can help to protect against infections.
• Eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean meat like fish or baked chicken.
• Take your medications as directed by your doctor.
• Make an exercise and treatment plan with your doctor and stick with it.
• Stay away from people with infections like a cold or the flu.

For more information about COPD Awareness Month, visit http://www.lungusa.org/.