Benefits Of Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Living with a chronic lung condition, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can make simple, everyday tasks seem daunting.

Climbing stairs may leave you breathless and wheezing, short walks can induce fatigue, and persistent coughs and respiratory infections take their toll on both your physical and mental health.

But if you’re suffering from the effects of poor lung function, pulmonary rehabilitation can help improve your quality of life. Pulmonary rehab is a formal program designed to increase your strength, build your stamina, and boost your lung capacity.

During the program, a team of experts, including doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and nutritionists, will craft a customized plan to address your health concerns and guide you through exercises and therapies that will allow you to live a more comfortable and independent life.

Completing a pulmonary rehabilitation program can help you:  

• Breathe easier

The first and most obvious benefit of pulmonary rehab is improved breathing ability. While a rehab program cannot recover your lung function, you will learn to manage your symptoms through medications and breathing techniques, increasing your oxygen levels and relieving your discomfort.

Many people who engage in pulmonary rehabilitation programs report a decrease in wheezing and shortness of breath.

• Build endurance

One of the most important aspects of any pulmonary rehab program is exercise. Strength training combined with light cardio can encourage your heart and lungs to work more efficiently.

You’ll learn modifications to exercises to make them more accessible, which can help you establish a routine that you’ll continue after the program is complete.

• Develop healthy eating habits

A healthy diet is crucial to sustaining your strength and wellbeing. To that end, a pulmonary rehab center will usually employ nutritionists or dieticians to counsel you on planning meals, avoiding unhealthy foods, and maintaining a proper weight.

• Manage your mental health

According to the American Lung Association, people with chronic lung disease have a higher chance of developing mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. By improving your breathing, pulmonary rehab can relieve some of the emotional stress related to chronic lung conditions.

Additionally, most programs offer mental health counseling to those patients in need.

• Gain valuable knowledge

In pulmonary rehab, you’ll participate in educational sessions about your condition, your body, and your medications.

You’ll learn how to identify symptoms, deal with flare-ups, and when to call for help. If you’re a smoker, you’ll also receive information on how to quit.

• Avoid hospital stays

According to a study published by the International Journal of COPD, patients who completed a successful pulmonary rehabilitation program experienced a 54% reduction in the number of days they spent in the hospital, when compared to the previous year.

When patients continued to apply the strategies learned in the program, including maintaining a regular exercise routine, they were able to reduce their overall health care costs and stay out of the hospital.

• Stay connected

Suffering from a chronic lung condition that restricts your activity can lead to loneliness and isolation.

Attending a program at a pulmonary rehab center puts you in touch with other people who can offer emotional and social support – not just your expert care providers, but also other patients who understand what you’re going through.

Pulmonary rehabilitation at Bella Vista Health Center in San Diego

At Bella Vista Health Center, we offer pulmonary rehabilitation and respiratory therapy programs to support individuals with a variety of breathing difficulties – from chronic lung diseases, such as COPD or asthma, to acute conditions, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

If you’re struggling with your lung function, the top-notch staff at our five-star skilled nursing facility can develop a customized treatment plan to help you achieve greater independence and improve your quality of life.

To find out more about the programs available at our pulmonary rehab center, call us at (619) 644-1000.

How to Tell if You Need Pulmonary Rehab

We all know exercise is an important component of achieving and maintaining optimal wellness. And it’s also probably common knowledge (even if only from watching The Biggest Loser) that the huffing and puffing of beginners will diminish as their strength and lung capacity increases. But for people with chronic breathing problems, exercise often exacerbates the situation, causing increased breathlessness and extreme discomfort.  Fortunately, pulmonary rehabilitation provides a solution to reduce shortness of breath, increase stamina, and make exercise possible, so you can get stronger and stay fit. But how do you know if pulmonary rehabilitation is right for you? Take a look below at these 5 signs that you may need pulmonary rehab. 

#1. You’ve been diagnosed with a respiratory ailment

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs can significantly increase exercise tolerance and quality of life for people with breathing problems, including those who have been diagnosed with: 

• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) 
• Emphysema
• Lung cancer
• Cystic fibrosis
• Asthma
• Sarcoidosis
• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• And other conditions that make it difficult to breathe

#2. Everyday activities keep getting harder

If you’re finding it more and more difficult to walk to the mailbox, climb stairs, or otherwise tackle the daily tasks that come so easily to people without breathing issues, pulmonary rehab can help by providing you with simple exercises and breathing techniques to increase your lung capacity and improve your shortness of breath. The tips and strategies your respiratory therapist provides will make it easier for you to accomplish everyday tasks comfortably. 

#3. You limit yourself to sedentary activities for fear of a flare-up

It’s understandable that someone with a respiratory ailment would do everything possible to avoid painful flare-ups, but if it has come to the point where your whole life is organized around making as little effort as possible, you could be doing more harm than good.  An exercise program designed by a respiratory specialist can help strengthen the muscles in your chest and make breathing easier.  Additionally, a pulmonary rehabilitation program will help educate you on nutrition, stress management, flare-up prevention, and symptom management. Armed with knowledge, tips, and strategies, you’ll feel more comfortable getting up, moving around, and doing the things that bring you joy. 

#4. Isolation and inactivity are causing you to feel depressed

Studies show that exercise and social connection not only help increase feelings of wellbeing but also boost the immune system.  Conversely, a lack of exercise and social connection can lead to symptoms of depression and poor overall health.  If you’ve limited your social and physical activities because of your difficulty breathing, pulmonary rehabilitation can help you get back to living in a way that feels good and allows you to plug in to your social life once again. 

#5. You always have a bag packed in case of sudden hospitalization

Breathing difficulties are scary, and if you suffer from a chronic respiratory ailment, it’s likely that you’ve experienced your share of hospitalization due to your condition. It’s also likely that some of your visits to the emergency room may have been the result of panicking at the onset of a flare-up. If the idea of hospitalization has become a normal part of your life, pulmonary rehabilitation can help. Not only will your breathing exercises strengthen your lungs, but the tips and strategies provided by your therapist can also help you manage your symptoms, prevent flare-ups, and decrease the number of times you end up in the ER.  

Looking for pulmonary rehabilitation in San Diego? Come see us!

At Bella Vista Health Center, our pulmonary rehabilitation program offers a comprehensive approach to health and wellness for individuals suffering from respiratory ailments. Our interdisciplinary team of specialists will create a personalized plan designed to help you build endurance, use breathing strategies to reduce shortness of breath, and understand and manage your condition. Our goal is to provide the physical and emotional support that allows you to achieve the highest possible quality of life. Give us a call to schedule a visit today.