consumers corner By Eva Briggs
Rehab Program Treats Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
F
or most people, training conjures up images of people preparing to compete in athletic endeavors by running on treadmills, doing calisthenics, hoisting weights and listening to the exhortations and encouragement of coaches. But there’s another type of training specially designed to help people with lung disease. It’s called pulmonary rehab. Chronic obstructive lung disease, COPD, affects about 10 percent of the U.S. population. The risk doubles for every decade after the age of 40. COPD is the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S. Damaged lung tissue and airways restrict the passage of air into and out of the lung. While smoking is the most common cause, it can arise from asthma, air pollution, exposure to workplace toxins, and from genetic causes. Pulmonary rehabilitation is one modality for improving the quality of life for people with COPD. It also helps selected patients with asthma, cystic fibrosis, and after lung surgery. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a non-pharmacologic approach to improving the function of patients with COPD. It doesn’t replace medications, but can be a part of a comprehensive approach. The goal is to reduce symptoms like shortness of breath, and to improve the functioning of patients with lung disease so that they can feel less short of breath, participate in activities, and feel less anxious and depressed by disease symptoms.
Team approach A typical pulmonary rehab program takes place in a hospital outpatient setting under the
supervision of a coordinator whose multidisciplinary team might include respiratory therapists, nurses, exercise physiologists, pharmacists, psychologists, and others. Each session lasts several hours, and they’re held three times per week for a sixto-12-week period. Three key components are exercise training, self-management education, and psychosocial support. Who benefits? Patients who continue to feel short of breath and whose activities are limited despite optimal medication treatment. Contraindications include diseases that might be worsened by or interfere with rehab, such as uncontrolled heart disease. Exercise training focuses on both endurance (aerobic) exercise and strength. While measurements of lung capacity don’t change, exercise enables muscles to use the available oxygen more efficiently. With regular exercise, muscles actual increase their stores of the enzymes that utilize oxygen in the bloodstream. The effect is increased stamina, the ability to work farther with less shortness of breath. Self-management education
assists patients to better understand their disease. Learning to recognize early signs of disease flares and what to do helps limit set backs. Any chronic disease is scary, and COPD is no exception. Groups that provide coping strategies and stress management can help alleviate the anxiety and depression produced by the disease. After pulmonary rehab is completed, the benefits may slowly diminish over time. The reasons are many, including decreased adherence to exercise regimens and the natural progression of COPD over time. Many programs provide post-rehabilitation maintenance in hopes of prolonging the benefits. COPD is under-diagnosed and under-treated. If you have symptoms like a chronic cough, recurrent episodes of bronchitis or similar respiratory infections, or shortness of breath, get checked by your doctor. Your medical history, physical exam, and tests like a lung X-rays and pulmonary function tests can make the diagnosis. And getting the right diagnosis is key to getting the right treatment.
O’Brien Road Apartments 7171 O’Brien Road • Syracuse, New York 13209 Located in the Town of VanBuren
Beautiful, new, one bedroom apartments designed for the needs of the frail, age 62 or older. Rent is based on 30% of monthly adjusted income. Income cannot exceed $22,300 for one person or $25,500 for a couple.
O’Brien Road Apartments
7170 O’Brien Road, Syracuse, NY 13209 • (315) 635-3339 • Fax (315) 635-3391 This development was financed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and sponsored by the LORETTO Organization. Smoke Free Apartment Community An Equal Housing Opportunity
August / September 2011 - 55 PLUS
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