Main description:

A leading expert answers your questions about how to live to your fullest with COPD.

Significant lung damage from smoking, exposure in some jobs, or even diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis can lead to COPD. Having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can leave you feeling short of breath, sometimes reluctant to go shopping or for a walk because you are afraid of more difficulties. You may have wheezing, tightness in the chest, or frequent coughing. Although you see a doctor for your COPD, you often have questions and need answers. In this concise and practical guide, leading medical expert Donald A. Mahler answers some of the most pressing questions that he has been asked over 30 years of seeing patients with COPD, including

* Why am I short of breath?
* What medications can treat my COPD?
* Can surgery improve COPD?
* What are flare-ups-and how can I prevent them?
* How can I stop smoking?
* What should I do if my breathing isn't getting better?
* Can exercise help? If so, which exercises are the most beneficial?
* What's the best way to prevent lung infections?
* How does COVID-19 affect COPD?
* How can I travel with oxygen?
* Can I be sexually active with COPD?

and much more.

Each chapter includes a patient vignette and key points. Tables and boxes offering helpful tips are included throughout. Providing up-to-date, evidence-based content that covers more than just medications, COPD gives you the tools you need to keep active-and thrive.

Contents:

Preface
Chapter 1. What Is COPD?
Chapter 2. Why Am I Short of Breath?
Chapter 3. Why Am I Coughing?
Chapter 4. How Can I Quit Smoking?
Chapter 5. Which Medications Can Help My COPD?
Chapter 6. Can You Help Me Breathe Easier?
Chapter 7. What Is a COPD Flare-Up? How Is It Treated? Can It Be Prevented?
Chapter 8. Do I Need Oxygen? How Do I Travel with Oxygen?
Chapter 9. Can Exercise Help? What Are the Benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
Chapter 10. Can Surgery Help Me Breathe Easier?
Chapter 11. Can I Be Sexually Active with COPD?
Chapter 12. Will My COPD Get Worse? Will I Die From COPD?
Chapter 13. How Does COVID-19 Affect COPD?
Index