COPD is treated with medicines and oxygen, along with self-care.

Medicines

Medicines used to treat COPD include:

Bronchodilators.

They are used to open or relax your airways. They can help you breathe easier.

• Short-acting bronchodilators ease your symptoms. They are considered a good first choice for treating stable COPD in a person whose symptoms come and go (intermittent symptoms). They include:
  • Anticholinergics.
  • Beta2-agonists.
  • A combination of the two.
• Long-acting bronchodilators help prevent breathing problems. They help people whose symptoms do not go away (persistent symptoms). They include:
  • Anticholinergics.
  • Beta2-agonists.
  • A combination of the two, or a combination of a beta2-agonist and a corticosteroid medicine.
  • A combination of an anticholinergic, a beta2-agonist, and a corticosteroid medicine.

Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitors.

These are taken every day to help prevent COPD exacerbations.

Corticosteroids.

They may be used in pill form to treat a COPD flare-up. Or you can use them in an inhaled form to help prevent flare-ups.

Other medicines.

These include methylxanthines, which generally are used for severe cases of COPD.

Oxygen therapy

Oxygen therapy boosts the amount of oxygen in your blood and helps you breathe easier. It can help people with very bad COPD and low oxygen levels live longer.

Self-care

There are things you can do for yourself to help manage your COPD. They are things like:

• Quitting smoking.
• Eating well.
• Staying active.
• Avoiding colds and the flu and other things that may trigger your symptoms.

A lung (pulmonary) rehab program can help you learn to manage your disease. A team of health professionals can provide counseling and teach you how to breathe easier, exercise, and eat well.