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  5. Living with COPD

Living with COPD

Get tools to help better manage your COPD and enhance your quality of life.

There is no cure for COPD, but it can be managed and treated by working with your healthcare team to develop a plan to keep your COPD under control. Along with quitting smoking, staying up to date with vaccinations, following your treatment plan and regularly seeing your healthcare provider, there are lifestyle changes that can help you stay more active and improve your quality of life.

Lung Health Navigators

Our Lung Health Navigators empower people to understand and manage their lung health. We offer FREE one-on-one education programs to support those living with lung disease including COPD.
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Being an advocate for your lung health involves learning about COPD, playing an active role in your treatment plan and feeling comfortable asking your healthcare provider your questions.

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Managing COPD can seem overwhelming. When talking to your healthcare provider, do you sometimes feel the recommended treatment plan is confusing or challenging to follow? If you leave your appointment with unanswered questions, it’s time to take steps to advocate for your long health. Learning how to do this doesn’t happen overnight. To get started, learn as much as you can about COPD and write down your questions. Schedule a follow up appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss your COPD and prioritize getting your questions answered. It feels good to have a plan of what to do when your symptoms flare up.

Fill in a COPD action plan with your provider to help you remember the steps to take when you aren’t feeling well. Becoming a self-advocate is a powerful way to take control of your disease. You will feel confident in knowing what steps to take when your COPD gets worse and when to get help. When you are diagnosed with COPD, that is a big deal, and it becomes a chapter in the story of your life. But it doesn't need to be the title of the book. By advocating for yourself, you can make sure you get the care you need to feel your best. Learn more at Lung.org/COPD.

Prevent COPD Exacerbations

Learn ways to reduce exposure to triggers that can worsen your COPD symptoms, such as tobacco smoke, lung infections like the flu or COVID-19, and air pollution.

COPD Management Tools

Create a COPD Action and Management Plan with your healthcare provider. This written, personalized worksheet lists the steps to take to manage your COPD depending on how you are feeling.

Get the Most Out of the Foods You Eat

Did you know the food you eat may affect your breathing? Good nutrition may help you breathe easier and help your body fight infection.

Cope with Your Emotions

Living with COPD can be tough, and the physical challenges can sometimes affect your mood and emotional health. Emotional support is just as important as protecting your lungs and staying active.

Stay Physically Active

When you have COPD, the right amount and type of exercise has many benefits and is an important part of staying healthy.

Learn about COPD Stages

It's important to understand the four stages of COPD - mild, moderate, severe and very severe - and how to reduce exposure to anything that can worsen your symptoms.

Manage Your Daily Activities

Get tips for conserving your energy during every day tasks such as dressing, bathing and housekeeping so you aren't left feeling tired or short of breath.

Plan for the Future

It is important to discuss your future medical needs and wishes. Early conversations about supports such as palliative care or end of life care with your healthcare team and caregivers can lessen anxiety about when and how to start these conversations down the road.

Hospital to Home Care

Coming home from the hospital after a COPD exacerbation involves a coordinated approach so you can discharge safely and continue your recovery at home.

Comorbid Conditions

You may have another chronic health condition like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, depression or arthritis that you are also managing. When you have multiple health conditions, it is important that each member of your healthcare team know about all your diseases, so they can find the best treatment for you. 

If you have an underlying lung disease like COPD, you may be at higher risk of infection or developing another lung disease. Learn about the lung-related health conditions that may affect people living with COPD. 

Find Support

An important part of living with COPD or caring for someone with COPD is finding the right support. See where you can find help from others who share common experiences, get tips on paying for care and learn how you can advocate to improve the lives of others with COPD.

Free Recorded Webinar

Living Well with COPD

Learn from Dr. Jordan Lee what the latest treatment options are for managing your COPD and hear how Caroline has lived her best life with COPD for over 10 years at our live webinar.
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Reviewed and approved by the American Lung Association Scientific and Medical Editorial Review Panel.

Page last updated: October 7, 2025

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