Chest Information and Support > Common Chest conditions > Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) > Managing your COPD
Managing your COPD
As well as the medical treatment of COPD there are lots of things you can do to manage your COPD and live an active life.
- Monitor your symptoms and know when to get help
- Reduce your risk of getting a chest infection
- Make sure you are using your inhalers correctly
"With self management I have a better understanding of my condition and am now able to cope with it in a more positive way"
- Stop smoking
- Keep as active as you can
- Eat healthily
- Try to maintain a healthy body weight
- Learn how to manage your breathlessness
- Do your chest clearance exercises regularly
- Practise relaxation techniques
- Be aware of your environment
One of the most important things is to learn about what symptoms are ‘normal’ for you and how to recognise if things are getting worse.
Don’t ignore the warning signs - If you think you are having a flare-up, get help!
Prompt treatment can stop you becoming very unwell and needing hospital treatment.
To find out more about how you can help to keep yourself well, see the CHSS booklet Living with COPD (PDF).