Know Your AATmosphere
Support System
Staying as healthy as possible
For people challenged with AAT deficiency, preventing or slowing lung damage is critical. Avoiding exposure to lung irritants in your environment, such as some household chemicals, allergens, and secondhand smoke is a must. Ask your physician how proper diet and exercise can also help strengthen your ability to live a longer, more fulfilling life. A commitment to eating well and staying active can benefit the body as well as the mind.
- Avoiding smoke and other lung irritants
- Staying active with Alpha-1
- Maintaining your overall health, morning to night
Avoiding smoke and other lung irritants
Did you know there are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, some of which may make it harder to quit?1,2 And that even secondhand smoke can damage your heart and lungs over time, and minimize your ability to fight infections?
- Avoid secondhand smoke, at home and away
- Tell your physician if someone you live with smokes
- Also protect yourself against pollutants in the air
If someone in your family smokes, there are many effective ways to quit. Convenient help, such as the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking® Program, is available online. Click on www.lungusa.org.
Staying active with Alpha-1
For people with COPD, findings from a 2007 study published in Heart and Lung suggest that physical benefits come with strict adherence to an exercise routine. Additionally, mental health benefits can arise from regular exercise, even if the activity isn't constant.3
Pulmonary rehabilitation, a comprehensive and customized approach toward fitness, can also improve your quality of life. It generally includes:
- aerobic exercise, such as swimming and walking
- nutritional and psychological assessments
- self-management training
Be sure to choose an AACVPR-certified (American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation) program, to ensure credibility and effectiveness. Your choice of program will no doubt require your physician’s approval, and possible pre-testing.
Relaxation techniques, such as yoga, may also be helpful. Talk to your physician about the exercise plan that's right for you.
Maintaining your overall health, morning to night
Here are some simple measures to maintain or improve pulmonary health at home and away:
- Avoid close contact with people who have viral infections
- Stay current on vaccinations, including flu and pneumonia shots
- Minimize exposure to dust and other irritants
- Frequently wash curtains and blinds and maintain a high-efficiency furnace filter
Click below for more information:
www.aacvpr.org
www.alpha1health.com
www.breathingbetterlivingwell.com
www.ehealthmd.com/library/Emphysema/EMP faq.html
www.lungusa.org
www.smokefree.gov
These links are provided for your convenience. However, they lead to external websites not created, managed, or maintained by Baxter. Baxter is not responsible for, and does not necessarily endorse, the opinions or products represented on these external pages.
