Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for all chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects 24-million Americans. Due to the nature of this condition, patients with COPD understand how difficulty breathing can interfere with everyday life.
This is why it’s vital to eat and remain as healthy as possible while managing COPD. And while a healthy diet won’t cure your COPD, it can make life easier, strengthen your immunity, and help your body ward off chest infections and frequent hospital visits…
1. Sit Up Straight
Experts from Healthline recommend sitting up straight while eating to avoid placing undue pressure on the lungs. Do so with the aid of a high back dining room chair. Reclining, or sitting slouched over, during meals can compress the lungs, compromising your breathing because of the extra pressure on your chest and lungs.
“Lying down just compromises breathing more,” says Dr. Norman H. Edelman, MD, the Chief Medical Officer for the American Lung Association to Health.com and puts extra pressure on the lungs.