Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition that affects your breathing. People with COPD find it hard to inhale, and exposure to certain factors can increase their vulnerability.

1. Common COPD triggers and ways to avoid them

2. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition that affects your breathing.
People with COPD find it hard to inhale, and exposure to certain factors can increase their
vulnerability. For this reason, you should take certain precautions in order to manage your
condition. It would help if you stayed away from some COPD triggers to stay healthy in the
long run. Here is what you should do!
1. Do Not Smoke:
People suffering from COPD are advised to stay away from tobacco smoke. It can prevent the
condition from worsening so that you can stay healthy in the long run. Smoking causes
oxidative stress that can stimulate inflammation in the airway. These factors can make your
condition decline faster and increase the risk of acute symptoms. So, if you have been
diagnosed with COPD, you should quit smoking immediately. Remember that avoiding
consuming secondhand smoke is also essential for COPD patients.

3. 2. Avoid Indoor Pollution:
Combustible smoke is another COPD trigger that can worsen your health. Inhaling
firewood smoke produced while cooking or burning a kerosene heater is not
recommended for patients of this condition. It can irritate your lungs, which can even
result in death. Combustible smoke is mainly a concern for people residing in developing
countries. However, people, in general, should make sure to avoid it.
3. Avoid Bacterial Infections:
Respiratory viruses like influenza or pneumonia are concerning triggers of COPD. They
can break the lining in your airway, adding to the threat of secondary bacterial infections
and leading to inflammation. To manage COPD, flu, and pneumonia, vaccination is
essential. It ensures protection against viruses that can become fatal infections. COPD
patients are also advised to follow hygiene to reduce their chances of catching any
disease.

4. 4. Safety from Outdoor Pollution:
Outdoor air pollution is of particular concern for COPD patients. Bad-quality air generated
from combustible products like car or truck exhaust should be taken seriously. It is so because
the particles produced by these sources are so small that one cannot see them, but they can
be breathed deep into the airways easily. They can get deposited and lead to inflammation.
So, in order to stay safe, COPD patients are advised to stay inside on the days when ozone
exposure is high. It would help if you tried to check the newspaper for daily air quality before
going out.

5. 5. Avoid Indoor Allergens:
When indoors, you should take care to avoid allergens. Keep away from dust and mites as
they can worsen the COPD symptoms. To ensure no COPD flare-ups, you can make some
changes to your surroundings. For this, you are advised to cover your mattresses, box
springs, and pillows with dust mite-resistant covers. Also, it would help if you washed
sheets and pillow covers weekly in warm water (131-degrees F temperature). To further
protect yourself, you can also choose to get rid of the dust collecting décor like stuffed
toys.
COPD is a respiratory illness that cannot be treated or reversed. You can manage it using
a non-invasive ventilator, but you will also need to take certain precautions alongside
this treatment method for staying healthy.

6. Thank You