COPD Holiday Tips: Avoiding Health Risks To Enjoy The Season

The holiday season brings joy and celebration, but for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it can also pose unique challenges. Here are five essential tips to help you enjoy the festivities while prioritizing your respiratory health.

1. Don’t eat large quantities of food at one time.

Oxygen and food are the main ingredients in metabolism, which creates energy and carbon dioxide. Eating the right mix of nutrients can help you breathe easier. Overeating may add pressure on your diaphragm, making it harder to breathe. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian about a diet that will help support easier breathing.

2. Limit salty foods.

Consuming too much sodium can increase blood pressure by causing edema, or swelling, in the body. Instead of using salt to season foods, try herbs and spices. Watch for hidden salts in processed foods and those cooked with fatback, shortening and frying oils.

3. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.

Studies have shown that drinking excessive alcohol can reduce lung function in those with lung disease and can reduce the body’s ability to clear mucous from the airways. Alcohol also interferes with the effectiveness of many medications, including steroids and antibiotics.

4. Stay away from people who are smoking, including e-cigarettes.

Cigarette and e-cigarette smoke and vaping are very harmful to people with COPD. Avoid any situations where you might be exposed.

5. Be up to date with your vaccinations.

Viruses, such as flu, RSV and COVID, and bacteria that cause pneumonia, can be serious for people with COPD. In addition to washing your hands frequently and disinfecting high-touch surfaces, schedule your vaccination appointments before you visit with large groups of people. Vaccinations to schedule include:

• Flu vaccine. If the flu (influenza) virus gets to the lungs, it can be serious, especially for older adults who are at higher risk for developing serious complications like pneumonia. It is also easy to pass from person to person.
  
  
• Pneumococcal vaccine. All adults 50 years or older and adults 18 through 49 with certain risk conditions should get the pneumococcal vaccine. This is especially important if older adults will be around children who may unknowingly carry and pass along the illness.
  
  
• RSV vaccine. Older adults and adults with a chronic disease and/or a weakened immune system are at a higher risk of severe RSV symptoms and are more likely to need to be hospitalized. Adults 60 years and older should talk with their health care provider about the RSV vaccine.
  
  
• COVID vaccine. While not as broadly spoken of as it was a few years ago, COVID is still around. Research has shown that the COVID vaccine not only reduces the risk of getting the disease but also reduces the severity of the symptoms and helps keep people out of the hospital if they do get it.
  
  

If you are living with COPD or need help managing your lung health, connect with the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center. Schedule an appointment with the pulmonary experts today at 410-553-8240 or visit www.umbwmc.org/lung-health.

Jason Heavner is the senior vice president and chief medical officer of University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center, where he is also a pulmonary medicine physician.