Exercise may seem daunting to your patients, but has many proven benefits for people with COPD. It will improve their ability to do more without feeling breathless and help them to rediscover activities they could no longer do. Exercise can bring specific benefits to people with lung disease, as well as general improvements to health…
Smokers who try to quit can double or triple their chances by getting counseling, medicine, or both. Individualized smoking cessation plans and education based on your patient’s needs and goals are key to improving the chances of your patients quitting. Studies show that smokers assisted by a health care provider have a much greater chance….
Who Gets Pet Allergies? Six out of 10 people in the United States come in contact with cats or dogs. The total pet population is more than 100 million, or about four pets for every 10 people. Allergies to pets with fur or feathers are common, especially among people who have other allergies or asthma….
More than a quarter of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a history of smoking also have air flow limitation compatible with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Japanese study data show. Strikingly, the vast majority (87.7%) of patients found to have such airflow limitation had not previously been diagnosed with COPD, report Katsuya Onishi (Onishi…
Sending children back to school comes with a long checklist of items to remember. For example, you need to know what school supplies to buy. You will want to visit the school to find the classroom and meet the teacher. You will also plan after-school activities full of fun enrichment opportunities. If you have a…
We have been talking a lot about smoking over the past few weeks and its effect on COPD, asthma, and general health long-term. And today, we have more. Nearly 10 percent of cancer patients still smoke. Nearly nine years after diagnosis, bad habits die hard and some are saying “What’s the point?” Nine years after…
The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) announced the Online First publication of Total and State-Specific Medical and Absenteeism Costs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults Aged 18 Years in the United States for 2010 and Projections Through 2020 in the journal CHEST. The report, presented by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control…
In a recent publication of The Journal of Thoracic Disease, researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of yoga training in COPD patients. Five randomized controlled trials involving 233 patients with COPD were studied. The researchers found that yoga training lasting 3-9 months significantly improved the FEV1 and exercise capacity but…