30 May PERF Monthly Newsletter – May 2016
MAY
2016
Here is a roundup of the articles, news & updates that we've published on the PERF blog site during the past month. Click on the "Read More" link at the bottom of each excerpt to read the full article.
[column-group][column]
Resilience – Your Not-So-Secret Weapon Against COPD
When coping with a health challenge such as COPD, resilience can be a powerful weapon against the worsening of symptoms and the development of depression and other stress-related disorders.
Each of us is, by nature, endowed with a certain degree of resilience to help cope with disease and difficult challenges.
What can we do to build up our resilience?
We can develop and nurture strong supportive relationships, which go a long way toward extending our general resilience to any challenges or misfortunes that come our way. We can work to develop our planning, communication, problem-solving, and self-control skills. We can work on fostering a healthy self-image.
[/column][column]
The Dual Effects of Outdoor Exercise in Polluted Areas
Here in Los Angeles where PERF is located, we possess year-round moderate temperatures and sunny skies, making outdoor exercise a possibility every month of the year. Although the air quality in the Los Angeles basin has improved remarkably in the past couple of decades, we continue to be a region plagued by air pollution. These two factors make for a benefit/detriment dichotomy when it comes to exercising outdoors, particularly for those suffering from COPD. Exercising outdoors can increase the intake of pollutants into the lungs by a factor as high as five.
It’s important to employ some strategies when exercising outdoors in order to reduce the harmful effects of air pollution.
[/column][/column-group]
[column-group][column]
Is It Your Annual Springtime Cold Or Allergies?
It’s springtime and you have a cold. In fact, when you think about it, it seems you get a cold just like clockwork every single spring. Could it be that you don’t have a cold but rather allergies that flare up at this time of year?
Why does it matter, you may ask? After all, the symptoms are virtually the same. Well, it matters because you can, and should, alleviate your symptoms with different treatments, depending upon what actually is causing those your stuffy nose, cough, and watering eyes.
Viruses cause common colds. In contrast, your own immune system causes allergy symptoms as it responds to the presence of allergens to which it is sensitive.
[/column][column]
When COPD Symptoms Flare Up, Adjust Your Eating
When you’re having a COPD exacerbation, you may find it hard to cook the way you usually do – or at all – or you might not have much of an appetite. It’s important to eat healthy nevertheless. The trick is to plan your meals to minimize your symptoms, and prepare nutritious food without exhausting yourself.
Eating When Short of Breath
To avoid contributing to shortness of breath, modify your food intake so that you don’t add any pressure on your lungs from an over-full stomach. Eat five or six small meals or snacks throughout the day instead of three bigger meals.
[/column][/column-group]
Please Donate to PERF and Help Keep Our Programs and Research Going
No Comments