Imagine feeling winded after taking just a few steps. For many Veterans with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), this is an everyday reality. COPD affects millions of Americans.
Veterans can face unique risks for the disease due to military exposures to dust, fumes and chemicals during service. Currently, COPD is one of more than two dozen presumed conditions related to the PACT Act.
It’s important to remember that COPD isn’t just about difficulty breathing. It’s about managing your health before symptoms worsen.
Early detection and why it matters
It might be easy to dismiss symptoms like shortness of breath after going up the stairs, a lingering cough that just doesn’t go away, or wheezing after simple activities as part of aging or related to general fatigue. But what may seem like minor inconveniences could be your body’s way of signaling an underlying condition and could be early warning signs of COPD.
Chronic bronchitis and emphysema (two common types of COPD) can make you work harder to breathe especially when you are active and need to breathe faster. With chronic bronchitis, cells in airways produce more mucus than normal and this buildup can cause inflammation, impacting air travel in and out of your lungs.
For those with emphysema, damaged or weakened airways affect oxygen travel throughout your body making it harder to breathe.
Catching and addressing symptoms early can make all the difference. Detecting and treating a disease early can help slow progression and greatly improve your quality of life. When you seek medical attention for issues that can be easy to dismiss, you pave the way for better health, more energy and greater well-being.
VA resources and support for Veterans with COPD
Cutting-edge screenings, treatments and pulmonary care specifically tailored for Veterans are available through VA health care. Telehealth services make it even easier to access care from home, and new innovations in TelePulmonology and TeleSpirometry care have started making lung function testing easier to access as well.
With lifestyle adjustments, exercise programs and breathing techniques, in-person and virtual resources are here to help you stay active and reclaim control over your breathing if you have COPD.
Join VA in raising awareness, educating yourself and others and taking advantage of resources to keep your lungs healthy. Don’t let COPD hold you back. Reach out today for screenings and support and take control of your lung health.
