There is nothing more refreshing than waking up after a full night’s rest. However, when diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you may not have the same experience. But you’re not alone.

In fact, up to 50% of people diagnosed with COPD report experiencing some level of insomnia. Such as sleep disruptions, trouble sleeping well throughout the night, or difficulty falling asleep.

Going throughout your day or being abruptly woken from a deep sleep due to dry mouth, is something that doesn’t get much attention, but it affects a large portion of patients with COPD on a regular basis.

Dry mouth (xerostomia) is a condition that causes your mouth to feel parched of all moisture. Often times making it difficult to swallow, taste, or chew food.

Everyone faces some level of stress during their day to day life, stress is just a part of life. However, when diagnosed with a chronic lung disease like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the effects of stress on the body are worsened. Due to breathlessness, fatigue, the development of a lung infection, or the rise of new or worsening symptoms as the results of an exacerbation (flare up). COPD patients have more than 3 times the odds of developing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) than someone without COPD.

November is National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness month, a full month dedicated to spreading awareness and shining light on the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States that continues to take more and more lives each year.

This silent and often invisible respiratory disease is an umbrella term that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory asthma, and severe bronchiectasis.

COPD is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease that restricts airflow from the lungs.

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your respiratory health. But quitting smoking may be one of the hardest things you’ve had to do in your life.

The extreme grip of nicotine addiction is unknown to non-smokers, but as a smoker you know if you don’t give into those cravings you become cranky and irritated.

Common belief is, if you’ve been smoking for a huge portion of your life then the damage is already done and there is nothing you can do.

Sure your respiratory and cardiovascular system may be damaged, but the second you quit smoking your body instantly begins to repair itself.

Quitting smoking will reduce the risks of a whole myriad of diseases, ranging from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to a heart attack and stroke.

And don’t you know with every cigarette you are taking more and more time off your life?

That’s less time you get to spend with your children, grandchildren, husband or wife.

You’re family likes you better when you are kicking and breathing, so don’t you think it’s time to put down that nasty habit? Even secondhand smoke can cause damage, but it can also be repaired.