Plan ahead and organise your shopping trips. Avoid carrying heavy bags and only buy what you can carry without getting overly breathless. Consider getting a wheeled shopping trolley. Friends and family can also help by getting heavier shopping such as washing powder, cleaning products and tinned food. You may wish to think about ordering shopping […]
Put all the clothes you need together before you start. You could do this the day before or at a time when you have more energy. Choose clothes which are easier to put on. Stretch fabrics, loose fitting with few fastenings are often best. Polo type shirts are very easy. Slip on shoes, loose fitting […]
In the bathroom: Use the toilet before you begin washing and dressing. Don’t grab on to radiators, toilet roll holders, door handles or the side of the sink or bath when trying to stand up from the toilet. All of these can be slippery or may come away from the fixings when you put weight […]
Living with breathlessness can affect your daily routines and the way in which you manage the daily tasks that we all need to do; getting dressed, having a shower, shopping, cooking and so on. You may notice there are times when you are more, or less, breathless. Think about the ways in which you already […]
The key messages are: Get your child to tell you when they are feeling unwell and know the signs to look for. Tell them that if they take inhalers as soon as they feel unwell the asthma attack will most likely go away. Young children can’t always tell you how they feel so you need […]
Remember breathlessness related to anxiety is normal. It is your bodies way of trying to help you in situations which you find difficult or in which you worry about your ability to cope. Explore and understand the triggers for your anxiety. If you find anxiety is becoming a problem which is affecting your day-to-day life. […]
Anxiety is an emotion which not only effects our bodies. It also impacts on your thoughts and what you do at these times (your behaviours).
Being diagnosed with a lung condition, managing chest infections, attending clinic appointments, changing life roles, can all be challenging. Dealing with these challenges can trigger emotional change – worry, stress, anxiety, frustration, irritability, low mood being some of the emotions experienced. These emotional changes can be subtle or sudden, and can trigger the anxiety response. […]
The following story is from a real person called Caroline. She is 62 and has been diagnosed with COPD for 5 years. She is talking about her experience of recovering from an exacerbation. Duration: 3 minutes 35 seconds. This photo and audio have been recorded by an actor but the words are from a real […]
In order to develop a positive self-management approach to your pregnancy you should follow all the health messages from your midwife and ante natal team: Avoid smoking or being around those who smoke Smoking makes an asthma attack more likely and an asthma attack can stress your baby. Smoking increases the chance of miscarriage, your […]
