Newly diagnosed COPD - very anxious

[puddy68]

Hi there

My anxiety is rearing its ugly head again [I'm so sorry] I've just got out out of hospital after a bout of pneumonia, which flared up my asthma. Whilst in hospital they told me I had COPD.

I live a relative normal life - I'm a teacher who works full time [I also have mild Pulmonary Hypertension], and the only symptoms I have are shortness of breath when walking up stairs or hills.

The doctors changed my puffer to Trimbow, and I need to go back in 6 weeks for a CT scan on my chest and possibly sleep study for sleep apnea.

My main issue is my severe anxiety [which I'm also on medication for]. Will COPD shorten my life span or can it be managed so that you can live a normal life span? Does anyone have any positive stories they could share with me? Thank you so much.

[Happyrosie]

I cannot directly answer your question - this forum is for heart and you might find better information by seeing the forums (here on health unlocked) for anxiety and asthma or COPD. Have a search around Health Unlocked.

I used to be a life assurance underwriter, meaning that if someone wanted life assurance and declared a medical condition, I would assess the case (using reports from the clients own doctor and/or a medical examination) and decide from this whether life expectancy would be reduced and if so the price of life cover.

So I can tell you that life expectancy varies enormously depending on your personal medical history, possibly your family medical history, your height and weight, smoking and alcohol status, how much exercise you take and your diet.

To a large extent, life expectancy depends on what you, personally, do to help yourself.

Keep fit by walking, preferably in nature such as the countryside or parks. Keep a circle of friendship. Eat healthily with fresh food, not ultra-processed, including plenty of veg. Sleep as well as you can.

Hope this helps.

[Lowerfield_no_more]

I have good news and bad news. I had a friend who was a heavy smoker for all of his life. He ended up with COPD as a result and so stopped smoking but it was too late and he slowly degenerated over a few years before he finally succumbed. In his last two or three years he was in and out of hospital during the winter months with respiratory conditions, and it was one of those that finally caused his demise. However I have two 'good news' examples to give you. I have another friend who was a smoker for most of her adult life and she also ended up with slight breathing difficulties, was told she had COPD, stopped smoking and she is still going strong, and has not deteriorated very much, although she is on the usual medication. And I was diagnosed about 10 years ago with mild asthma and a small degree of COPD due to mild breathing difficulties, which my asthma nurse put down to teens and twenties smoking although I had given up well over 40 years previous, although I also believe it was the result of breathing difficulties I experienced during many bad virus infections I have had over the years. However I have certainly not deteriorated, I never use my relief inhaler and only take one puff a day of Symbicort. And the main reason for this I believe is that I have started regularly playing saxophone again and my breathing stats have actually improved since I did this. My nurse told me that this was a common outcome for many of the people she saw who played wind instruments. So although we are told that COPD is a degenerative disease I believe that, because we are all different, no one can predict how badly COPD can affect us. Just take the medication, take the anti viral vaccinations when they are offered, avoid heavily polluted environments if possible, stretch your lungs by exercise, and you will be doing the best to extend your life.