Discharge Instructions for Emphysema
You have been diagnosed with emphysema. This is a lung disease that limits the flow of air in and out of your lungs, making breathing harder. Emphysema is most often caused by heavy, long-time cigarette smoking.
Home Care
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Break the smoking habit.
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Enroll in a stop-smoking program to increase your chances of success.
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Ask your doctor about medications or other methods to help you quit.
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Ask family members to quit smoking as well.
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Don’t allow smoking in your home or around you.
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Protect yourself from infection.
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Wash your hands often. Keep your hands away from your face. Most germs are spread from your hands to your mouth.
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Get a flu shot every year. Ask your doctor about a pneumonia vaccination.
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Avoid crowds, especially in the winter, when more people have colds and flu.
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Exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, and get enough sleep.
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Take your medications exactly as directed. Don’t skip doses.
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Avoid elements that may affect your breathing, such as cold weather, high humidity, smoke, air pollution, dust, and allergens.
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Unless directed otherwise, drink at least 8 glasses of fluid every day to keep mucus thin.
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Keep your lungs clear of extra mucus, which can trap germs. Ask your healthcare provider about learning postural drainage and percussion. These techniques can help you cough up extra mucus.
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Learn pursed-lip and patterned breathing to help decrease shortness of breath.
Follow-Up
Make a follow-up appointment as directed by our staff.
When to Call Your Doctor
Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following:
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Shortness of breath, wheezing, or coughing
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Increased mucus; yellow, green, bloody, or smelly mucus
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Fever or chills
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Tightness in your chest that does not go away with your normal medications
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An irregular heartbeat
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Swollen ankles
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Trouble doing your usual activities
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Date Last Reviewed:
2/3/2006
Date Last Modified:
9/1/2004