Although there is no proven cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), experts recommend various treatment methods to help improve your symptoms and impede its progress. Some of these treatment methods are:
- Healthy lifestyle changes
- Surgery
- Medication
- Therapy
These methods can do the following things:
- Help make you feel better
- Help you engage in more daily activities
- Help you stay active
- Help prevent and treat health complications
- Help improve your total quality of life
Medications
Your healthcare provider may recommend various drugs to relieve COPD symptoms. It is important to contact your doctor if you start to notice any health complications while using a drug.
Antibiotics
Studies show that respiratory infections can worsen the symptoms of COPD. If you have an infection, your symptoms will become worse and your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. Antibiotics help kill bacteria, but they have no effect on viruses. Your healthcare provider may recommend tests to know the type of infection you have and what type of antibiotic will be effective.