The Lung Association says it best: “When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.” With the spring blossoms in the air wouldn’t it be nice to be able to take a deep breath? Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD) is the term used for lung conditions such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema. When a person suffers from COPD the damage done to the tissue of the lungs makes breathing a chore.
COPD is a disease that progresses slowly. Although it is not fully reversible, early diagnosis and treatment can greatly improve symptoms and slow the progression of further lung damage.
Over 1.5 million Canadians have been diagnosed with COPD but many more remain undiagnosed. The main cause of COPD is cigarette smoke. Adults over 40 with a history of smoking are at risk of developing lung disease. If you notice that you have a regular cough with or without phlegm; simple chores make you short of breath; or your colds are more frequent or last longer than normal, you may have symptoms of COPD. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is important pay a visit to your primary care practitioner to rule out COPD.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for COPD, but the disease can be prevented, in most cases, by quitting smoking and avoiding second hand smoke.
Your local Family Health Team (FHT) offers many programs and services geared to help prevent and better manage lung disease. These may include smoking cessation programs; telemedicine programs linked with the respirology departments in Kitchener or Toronto; and pulmonary rehabilitation programs where you can learn more about how to manage your condition through education and exercise.
Smoking cessation programs offered at the FHTs include group or individual counselling. Many FTHs are participating in the Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) Program, which offers nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patch, gum, inhaler and lozenges at no cost to the patients who want to quit smoking. STOP is funded by the province. Check with your health care provider to see if you are eligible to join the program. Smoking continues to be the number one leading cause of preventable death and illness in Ontario. The benefits of quitting smoking begin as early as the first day.
Telemedicine is a new technology that connects patients in rural areas to the specialized health care they need without having to leave their community. Telemedicine reduces the time, cost and stress associated with travelling for health care. Typically, the waiting time for a telemedicine appointment is greatly reduced compared to an in-person consultation with a specialist.
A telemedicine appointment is just like a regular doctor’s appointment; except the specialist you will be seeing and speaking with will be displayed on a television monitor. With the assistance of a nurse and advances in technology it is possible for a specialist to hear heart and breath sounds and see into a patient’s ears, nose and throat.
Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a program created around self-management and getting you, the patient directly involved with taking care of your condition. For those living with COPD, there is a lot that can be done to manage symptoms, improve quality of life and slow down the progression of disease.
The two main components of PR are education and exercise.
Upper Grand, Mount Forest and Minto-Mapleton FHTs are offering eight-week programs that teach about lung disease, how to manage a flare up, medication, and sets participants up with an action plan to better manage the disease on their own at home. One of the main goals of the program is to keep people out of the hospital because of breathing problems.
This program also has a supervised exercise component to help participants improve their fitness level and decrease shortness of breath, which will make the chores of daily life more manageable and have them feeling better.
For more information about any of the free services offered by your local Family Health Team ask your doctor or nurse practitioner during your next visit, visit the website www.afhto.ca or google “family health team locations.”
Sandy Turner is a kinesiologist with the Minto-Mapleton FHT.
