Home Remedies and Herbs for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a condition that affects a person’s ability to breathe. Over time, the condition progresses making it more and more difficult to breathe and perform daily activities.^{1 2 3} COPD primarily affects middle to older age adults and is the third leading cause of death in the United States.¹

With COPD, the lungs are chronically inflamed and/or damaged. This leads to obstruction in airflow.³ If left untreated, COPD can cause disability. Breathing restrictions make it difficult to even walk or stand up let alone remain physically active.¹ Fortunately, many people are able to manage and control their COPD symptoms with COPD natural remedies. This allows them to maintain their quality of life.³

What Causes Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?

• Emphysema - Occurs when the air sacs in the lungs called the alveoli have been damaged.⁴
• Chronic Bronchitis - Occurs when there is constant inflammation in the bronchial tubes, which are the airways that deliver air to your lungs.⁵

• Smoking cigarettes - This is the number one risk factor associated with developing COPD in developed countries.³
• Environmental toxins - Constant exposure to dust, air pollution, airborne toxins, chemical fumes or even cooking in a poorly ventilated home can also lead to COPD.^{1 2 3}

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Symptoms

• Mucus-producing cough
• Chest tightness
• Shortness of breath worsened by physical activity
• Wheezing
• Needing to clear your throat in the morning due to mucus buildup
• Fatigue
• Unintentional weight loss

COPD can cause episodes of exacerbations where the symptoms worsen significantly compared to average days. These episodes of exacerbations can last several days. ³ People with COPD are at a higher risk of developing other respiratory infections, heart disease or lung cancer. People can reduce their symptoms with several COPD natural remedies. These treatments can help to improve breathing by reducing inflammation and mucus buildup.⁶

References

1. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/copd
2. https://medlineplus.gov/copd.html
3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/copd/
4. https://medlineplus.gov/emphysema.html
5. https://medlineplus.gov/chronicbronchitis.html
6. https://draxe.com/copd-symptoms/