Snuff Out Cigarettes It could help you head off dangerous lung disease By Terri Couse · Forgetfulness, confusion slurring of speech and sleepiness. LATELY YOU'VE been having trouble canching your becath. That nagging moening cough won't go away. You're just not feeling right, but you cant figure ouat why. The reason, especially if you now smoke or ever were a smokeT, might be COPD. Trouble sleeping Using more pillows or sleeping ina chair instead of a bed to avoid shorness of breath. Chronic obstractive pulmorary discase, ce COPD, is an umbrella term for several lung diseases, accoeding to the National Lung Health Education Program. These discases, which are almost always caused by smoking, impair your lung ability to exhale used air. As a result, not enough space is left for coygen-rich air to enter your lungs An unexplained increase or decrease in weight. COPD often begins without symptome By the tine many people notice a problem and seek hep, the dioease has ncreased feeling of fatigue and persistent lack of energy. A lack of sexual drive. COPD ften begins without symptoms. By the time many people notice a problem and seek help, the progressed to the point where. Increasing moming discase has progressed to the point where it's defficult to treat. Knowing the signs of COPID and getting fast treatment can make a big diference in hoy well you live with COPD. headaches. dizzy pells or restlessness. it's difficult to treat. Spiroeietry is a simple test and the most common way of measuring the amount and specd of air inhaled and exhaled by the lungs. It is an important tool for improving the diagnosis and management for such conditions as COPD, a group of diseases that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis. SIGNS OF TROUBLE If you have COPD. you may'notice one or more of the following · An increase or decrease in the amount of sputum produced. The basic spirometry test varies depending on the oquipmentused, but generally, when usinga spirometer, your doctor will ask you to take the deepest beeath you can, and then exhale into the tube-shapod device as hand as possible, for as long as possible. Lung experts encourage anyone over age 45 to be tested for COPD, especially current or former smokers. · An increase in the thickness or stickiness of sputum · A change in sputum color to yellow or green or the presence of blood in the Sputum · An increase in the severity of shortness of breath, cough or wheezing · A general feeling of ill health · Ankle swelling COPD gets worse over time. You can't undo the damage to your lungs. But you can take steps to prevent more damage and to feel better. It's never too late to quit smoking. No matter how long you have had COPD or how serious it is, quitting smoking will help slow down the disease and impeove your quality of life. Need help to QUIT SMOKING? Call the Indiana Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-Now (800-784-8669) a free phone-based This year i'U. YES QUIT counseling service that SMOKING helps Indiana smokers quit: or visit their website at www.in.gov/quitiline/ MGH healthTBEAT www.mgh.net Snuff Out Cigarettes It could help you head off dangerous lung disease By Terri Couse · Forgetfulness, confusion slurring of speech and sleepiness. LATELY YOU'VE been having trouble canching your becath. That nagging moening cough won't go away. You're just not feeling right, but you cant figure ouat why. The reason, especially if you now smoke or ever were a smokeT, might be COPD. Trouble sleeping Using more pillows or sleeping ina chair instead of a bed to avoid shorness of breath. Chronic obstractive pulmorary discase, ce COPD, is an umbrella term for several lung diseases, accoeding to the National Lung Health Education Program. These discases, which are almost always caused by smoking, impair your lung ability to exhale used air. As a result, not enough space is left for coygen-rich air to enter your lungs An unexplained increase or decrease in weight. COPD often begins without symptome By the tine many people notice a problem and seek hep, the dioease has ncreased feeling of fatigue and persistent lack of energy. A lack of sexual drive. COPD ften begins without symptoms. By the time many people notice a problem and seek help, the progressed to the point where. Increasing moming discase has progressed to the point where it's defficult to treat. Knowing the signs of COPID and getting fast treatment can make a big diference in hoy well you live with COPD. headaches. dizzy pells or restlessness. it's difficult to treat. Spiroeietry is a simple test and the most common way of measuring the amount and specd of air inhaled and exhaled by the lungs. It is an important tool for improving the diagnosis and management for such conditions as COPD, a group of diseases that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis. SIGNS OF TROUBLE If you have COPD. you may'notice one or more of the following · An increase or decrease in the amount of sputum produced. The basic spirometry test varies depending on the oquipmentused, but generally, when usinga spirometer, your doctor will ask you to take the deepest beeath you can, and then exhale into the tube-shapod device as hand as possible, for as long as possible. Lung experts encourage anyone over age 45 to be tested for COPD, especially current or former smokers. · An increase in the thickness or stickiness of sputum · A change in sputum color to yellow or green or the presence of blood in the Sputum · An increase in the severity of shortness of breath, cough or wheezing · A general feeling of ill health · Ankle swelling COPD gets worse over time. You can't undo the damage to your lungs. But you can take steps to prevent more damage and to feel better. It's never too late to quit smoking. No matter how long you have had COPD or how serious it is, quitting smoking will help slow down the disease and impeove your quality of life. Need help to QUIT SMOKING? Call the Indiana Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-Now (800-784-8669) a free phone-based This year i'U. YES QUIT counseling service that SMOKING helps Indiana smokers quit: or visit their website at www.in.gov/quitiline/ MGH healthTBEAT www.mgh.net