Prevention
Here are some ways of preventing COPD:
Don't smoke
The best way to keep COPD from starting or from getting worse is to not smoke.
There are clear benefits to quitting, even after years of smoking. When you stop smoking, you slow down the damage to your lungs. For most people who quit, loss of lung function is slowed to the same rate as a nonsmoker's.
Today's medicines offer lots of help for people who want to quit. You will double your chances of quitting even if medicine is the only treatment you use to quit, but your odds get even better when you combine medicine and other quit strategies, such as counseling.
Stopping smoking is especially important if you have low levels of the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin. People who have this may lower their risk for severe COPD if they get timely shots of alpha-1 antitrypsin that has been obtained from human plasma.
Avoid bad air
Other airway irritants (such as air pollution, chemical fumes, and dust) also can make COPD worse, but they are far less important than smoking in causing the disease.
Preventing other problems
Flu shots: If you have COPD, you need a flu shot every year. When people with COPD get the flu, it often turns into something more serious, like pneumonia. And a flu shot will help prevent this from happening. Also, getting a regular flu shot may lower your chances of having COPD flare-ups.
Pneumonia shots: People with COPD often get pneumonia. Getting a shot can help keep you from getting very ill with pneumonia. Usually, people need only one shot, but doctors sometimes recommend a second shot for some people who got their first shot before they turned 65. Talk with your doctor about whether you need a second shot.
