Living with lung disease effects many different aspects of your life apart from the typical felt symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, breathlessness, and excess mucus production.

The reduced mobility you will experience can leave you feeling dependent on family members, a decreased outlook on life, and lung disease can even leave you susceptible to other life threatening infections.

Which is why it is both equally important to treat the immediate side effects of lung disease, but also to treat the conditions that arise as a result of the disease.

Lung disease affects your ability to breathe and complete basic daily activities. It has been shown that getting treated by multiple specialist has had tantamount amounts of effects on patients overall quality of life.

When discussing other conditions that arise from the presence of lung disease they include, the development of other infections, physiological problems, and coping with decreased lung function.

Loss of Lung Function

Lung disease directly effects your ability to breathe clearly, increases mucus production, and has a common presence of a persistent cough.

Dealing with the loss of lung function means coming to terms with that fact that completing day-to-day activities, such as walking up the stairs or getting dressed every morning will take a lot more time and energy to complete.

These side effects can begin to feel overwhelming and that they are taking over your life, but you don't have to go through this alone.

To better manage your lung function with lung disease speak with a respiratory specialist, and once you find one that you like schedule regular appointments.

A respiratory specialist will assess you lung function and if you qualify, then you may be prescribed a portable oxygen concentrator to allow you independence while still being properly oxygenated.

Development of Other Conditions

Unfortunately, the presence of lung disease weakens your immune system to the point that it may leave it susceptible to developing other life threatening conditions.

These infections range from osteoporosis, heart problems, and stroke to name a few.

Malnutrition is also extremely common in lung disease patients, which is why it is extremely important to have a set diet that is packed with tons of fruits, veggies, and lean protein.

To protect yourself from the development of these life threatening conditions you will need to have a nutritionist, cardiologist, and a gastroenterologist on your medical team. 

Mental Issues with Lung Disease 

Upon the diagnosis of lung disease you may begin to feel you are a burden to friends and family, however that can be far from the truth.

Friends and family are there to help.

Although lung disease may put strains on relationships, or make you feel left out, these psychological effects can be nipped in the bud before they ever begin to consume your life.

Talking with a professional or a support group can drastically increase your overall outlook on life.

To best manage your psychological condition speak with a psychiatrist, or a lung disease focus group, this way you will get insight from a professional as well as direct experiences from other lung disease patients.

Having a medical professional for each aspect of lung disease, whether it be for physical symptoms, preventing the development of other conditions, or psychological issues, your felt symptoms will drastically improve and most importantly your quality of life!