COPD:How COPD Is Treated

• Lifestyle Changes, Medication, and Surgery to Treat COPD

• Drugs Used to Treat COPD

• Coping With a COPD Emergency

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Mike McBride, age 55, has climbed the 56 stories of Denver’s Republic Plaza four times and has hustled up Chicago’s 100-story John Hancock building. While he may sound super healthy, all the activity came after a life-changing moment: While hospitalized for a severe bout of pneumonia in 2005, McBride found out he was one of the more than 12 million Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.  Read More

If you've got chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it's more important than ever to get some exercise—it can save your lung function and slow down the progression of COPD. The problem? The shortness of breath that comes with exertion can make it tempting to move less than you did before. This sets up a vicious cycle of inactivity leading to declining lung function, and declining lung function leading to inactivity.  Read More

Most cases of COPD are caused by cigarette smoking, and in those instances the most important step in treating COPD is to stop smoking. COPD is also treated with medications, oxygen therapy, and lifestyle modifications such as regular exercise. If these treatments and therapies are not working and surgery is necessary, there are generally three types of surgery that can be performed, including a lung transplant.  Read More