Скачать или смотреть Palliative Care for COPD

COPD is a chronic condition that affects the lungs. “As the COPD progresses, people start to have more shortness of breath, of course. It affects their lifestyle and their ability to function,” said Palliative Care Physician Dr. Diana Khalil.

The main culprit is smoking. If left untreated, it can get worse over time. “It’s progressive. There are many medicines to help with the symptoms and help to slow down the disease progression, but we don’t have a curative treatment,” said Dr. Khalil.

Palliative Care Physicians work to improve the quality of life for patients with COPD. “We educate them about what’s coming, what to expect, how to address the symptoms. The biggest human fear is the unknown so once they know what’s going on that gives him some relief” said Dr. Khalil.

COPD can affect people differently. In addition to medication, a positive mindset, lifestyle modifications, and good stress management can help improve quality of life. “It’s very important that if a patient has 2,3,4 years to live that they have life in those years it’s not just they’re sitting there in bed,” said Dr. Khalil. “We want our patients to be a part of their community, to be a part of the family, and enjoy the life they’re having.” You can find COPD resources on leehealth.org.


View More Health Matters video segments at    / leehealth  

Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

Visit LeeHealth.org