Hi all I am 38 years old I was diagnosed with asthma and emphysema, I'm looking for advice on how to stay healthy to slow progress of above

[Egomatt]

[longlungs]

Hi Egomatt welcome you have already done the best thing and thats giving the cigarettes up followed with a healthy diet and as much exersize that you are able,these will help enormously being happy i find is a big plus in helping you with coping stratagies for what life chucks at us.Ithink you will do well can feel it in my water haha.you sound like a positive person.I to have the same as you but 20 years on and wasnt quite so sensible am in the throws of quitting the ciggies now!! This is a great forum to be at full of lots of friendly people all wanting to help and be helped.If you have questions you can also click on the red ballon in the corner of this page and they will be only to pleased to help and direct you .Enjoy and hopefully see you soon.Janexx

[Egomatt]

Thanks Jane, I wish you well with giving up the cigs it's the best thing I ever done I just hope that I can last another twenty years as I have a young family that need me after reading on the internet it kinda scares me :/ but I'm gonna do my best to try and stay healthy as possible. hope you succeed and will be rooting for you to quit thanks for your advice xx

[Hidden]

Welcome Egomatt, in answer to your question, two words 'pulmonary rehabilitation' Your doctor can refer you, on the course you will learn all you need to know to help you manage your symptoms and slow the progress.

As mentioned stopping smoking is the no. 1 thing, next to help in achieving your goals is a PR course.

healthunlocked.com/blf/post...

Try to avoid anyone who may be infected with a cold or the flu virus. Don't ever delay if you suspect a lung infection see your GP or attend walk in centre asap to get treatment, further lung infections can cause further lung damage, thus a worsening in symptoms. Get annual flu shot, pneumonia vaccine (see your GP). Exercise regularly and eat healthily. All these things covered on the PR course.

Best wishes

BC

[Egomatt]

Hi BC and thanks for the advice I am concerned because my specialist just said have these two pumps, no mention of rehabilitation or flu / pneumonia vaccine,when I asked will my emphysema get worse he just says I don't know! I feel like there not bothered about it and I'm made to feel stupid for asking questions! I wasn't even shown how the pumps work, the only thing I have to go on was that he said my spirometry was good and that he wants to see me in five months and if all goes well he would release me from clinic ? But how will I know if it's getting worse because my asthma symptoms cause me problems that could mask more serious issues, I think I need to really grill him next time and ask as much as I can about rehabilitation.

many thanks

Matt

[Hidden in reply to Egomatt]

Hi Matt, Consultants can be a bit like that. Do ask the questions and be ready with your list when you next go. Sounds like you may be in mild stages but its a good thing to get to know those things that are going to help you stay in the mild or moderate stage and keep your symptoms stable.

When you ask about PR, say you want to attend for the educational side on how to manage the illness and how to help prevent it getting worse. I'm not sure about the pumps you are referring to, the inhalers? If you have a respiratory nurse attached to your GP surgery I would make an appointment with him or her so you can be shown the correct way to use the pumps and the correct technique in using the inhalers.

Keep in mind your wish to stay healthy and slow down the progress.

Best wishes BC

[Scars1 in reply to Egomatt]

that's pretty much what my consultant said in april.

[Egomatt in reply to Scars1]

Hi scars have you had pft tests etc as mine came back good according to my consultant my best is around 86% before ventolin and 91% after which came back with a diagnosis of asthma ? But when I questioned it he says I have emphysema too.

[Scars1 in reply to Egomatt]

can't recall my results offhand, but it was fairly similar to yours, only difference is they spotted emphysema on an xray before any tests, then found out i had asthma too.

[appyalison]

Hi matt, good advice above. Lots of people here can share their experiences of different treatments with you and blf helpline is a good place to go for advice about your particular health issues. Press large red balloon above for helpline nurse number. They are open 9-5 Monday to Friday. We try and look on the bright side, supporting and laughing with each other so welcome aboard for the next 20 years plus. Alison

[Egomatt]

Hi

Thanks for the advice BC I will definitely be asking more questions when I see the dr next time, I shall go to my gps and try to get some knowledge on using inhalers (ventolin as required) and two puffs of (beclometasone a day) as you say its best to try and educate myself on my illness, so I shall ask as much as I can and take notes next time. Alison I shall be frequenting here a lot more often. I feel like you are all really nice people here that I can have fun and learn more about all this stuff that's going to be with me for life now, I'm not going to let this get me down I need to grab it and take control of it thanks for all the advice BC

Many thanks

Matt

[appyalison in reply to Egomatt]

Great fighting spirit! When someone is feeling down we try to lift each other. We all have times when we feel down so don't worry about thinking you are moaning. We don't moan but we do sometimes need to offload. It is probably better to share worries here than to stress families too much. Some people here know loads so they can help interpret what the doctor says. I don't have COPD But asthma, dozens of lung nodules and other health issues. Speak soon. Alison

[peege]

Hi Matt, welcome to the site. I've been away so missed your question.

Be cause you're young, have a young family it's vital to learn as much as you can to make the best of it and lead a healthy and infection free life.

Blakey is absolutely right about PR - pulmonary rehab - it will be the next best thing to do after quitting the cigs. You will find out lots about your condition and how to manage it with breathing techniques and strengthening exercises.

It's also vital to take your Becotide properly - I found out at my PR course that for 3 years I'd been taking my inhaler wrongly which probably contributed to my getting more infections than I needed to and hence more scarring to my lungs grrrrr.

It's also good to use a small spacer with the brown Becotide as this enables 50% more of the drug to get into your lungs. Again, the PR staff will show you, they have Visiting experts after the exercise sessions for the knowledge part.

Protect yourself from catching colds which can end up on your chest - hard when you've got young ones (sometimes I feel like putting a sign on my front door saying 'do not enter if you have germs')! When you're out & about wear gloves to avoid touching anything with germs.

All the best to you with getting on a PR course, best thing ever, it's certainly changed my life, I can now play 'horsey' with little ones and run about without fear. peeg

[Toci]

Stay away from cigarette smoke and other irritants, eat a healthy diet and try to maintain a good weight and exercise, exercise, exercise. There are people on here who have had emphysema (COPD) for 20 years and are still around to tell the tale. It sounds like you are at a mild stage so if you look after yourself you should be fine.

[nanaber]

Hi Matt welcome to the family well done on giving up the cigs it's the best thing you could do. Short post from me rushing to put the dinner on now. xx

[Lynne1955]

Lots of great advice so I will just say welcome and good luck.

Lynne xx

[Egomatt]

Thanks a lot you guys it means so much to be taken seriously,I've been out for a jog this morning it was very hard at one point I thought I was going to pass out lol but I made it back home. slowly but surely I will hopefully feel a bit fitter fingers crossed thanks for all the good advice and well wishes hope your all feeling well and enjoy the rest of your day x

Many thanks

Matt

[kimmy59]

Hello Matthew

Well done for kicking the fags I'm nearly two years never thought it was possible. Great that your exercising, hope you get on a PR course It's brilliant, so nag away to that G.P hopefully after that you can go straight to the respiratory nurses instead.

Good luck

Kim

[onamission]

Hi Eggomatt, I was diagnosed around 12 years ago and like you my GP told me to give up smoking I had no inhalers nothing now I've changed my GP i'm told by the nurse i'm level 4 and they have given me inhalers but no rehab or PR. I go to aqua fit at my local swimming pool because of back problems I find it easy to exercise in water and it keeps me fit but on land its useless. Good luck I find this site great if your feeling down it soon lifts you up.

[Hidden]

Good Morning Egomatt! I care for my husband who has severe COPD and was diagnosed about 9 years ago. Its is a funny diagnosis because many people are told they have it - and that's that! It has taken us some years to become expert patients! The best advise I can give you is:-

1) Stop Smoking

2) Keep fit - as fit as you can possibly. It really makes a huge difference

3) Get a flu jab

4) Get a pneumonia jab

5) Learn to listen to your body, to know your own triggers eg. the smell of strong perfumes make my husband ill

6) Don't stop asking - keep asking your gp, your respiratory nurse

7) Take your inhalers - if they are not doing what they should go straight back to the doctor

8) If you start with a cold, flu or a cough - get to the doctors don't wait

Finally ENJOY your life! This is not a death sentence it may mean a few changes in your lifestyle but we carry on! TAD xx

[becraftygirl]

firstly if u smoke give up at once keep to ideal weight

try and eat good healthy food you will prop find stodgy food mks breathing worse it is in my case

and try to keep walking its a case use it or loose it i find it very hard to obey my own rules tk care

[Egomatt]

Thanks for all the good advice and support everyone tad I just showed my partner your comments and she said if she has to look after me then she is going to give me the Spanish archer lol (El bow) I've got a lot of work to do but I'm determined for my family's sake and hopefully I will remain on the healthy side, this has scared the life out of me I'm not afraid to admit it :/

Thanks guys

Matt

[happiness123]

I've just got a letter today saying I've tiny amounts of emphysema on my lungs. I've had pnuemonia 7 years ago and recently had a pnumethorax. I'm so worried 'm 46yrs never smoked and exercise daily..I've been struggling breathing for past 2 years but my Dr dismissed it saying it's all in my head. I'm terrified of what's to come I want to be around to see my children grow up. any advice please of what questions I need to ask my Dr when I next visit. I've not been given any medication nothing i feel like I'm left to my own devices.

[Egomatt]

Hi happiness

How was you diagnosed ? Did you have a ct scan ? And were you given any lung function tests ? If you have tiny emphysema it shouldn't really cause you much trouble to be honest.

I would want to see a specialist to find out what's going on and get the correct treatment, my asthma causes me more problems than the emphysema but it can be controlled hope this helps ? stay posotive I've Been diagnosed three years and I feel better than I did with the right medication