Hi, @A MyCOPDTeam Member, have you tried pursed lip breathing?

I swear by it on days when I’m short of breath. Otherwise, stop and get your breathing under control, then proceed while trying not to push yourself into breathlessness.

If you haven’t talked to your doc about prescribing pulmonary rehab to help strengthen your core muscles and help make breathing easier, then you may want to do that, too. Good luck and welcome to the site.

Monday, 04-SEP-23

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A MyCOPDT...

It's possible to live well with emphysema, but it does take some determination and effort. The first thing is to talk with your pulmonologist about developing a good exercise plan; one that will help you maintain and then increase your stamina. A combination of 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day plus strengthening exercises will help you enormously, probably more than any meds will help. Getting into the best possible conditioning you can is vitally important and the key to maintaining function over time. Pulmonary Rehab is a good start, but don't stop there; it's just a start and you can do a lot more than they'll let you do there. Maintaining a good normal weight, eating a health diet, taking your meds and avoiding people with bugs so you don't get really sick are keys to continuing to do well.

what about a rescue inhaler? I use mine when I walk or just get winded, works pretty well for me, my brand is a "pro air" and is just albuterol.