Breathe Easy — 5 Simple Tips To Make Living With Cystic Fibrosis A Little Easier
If you or a loved one are living with cystic fibrosis, then you know that it can cause a wide range of problems, and we don’t yet have a cure.
It’s not all doom and gloom though.
People with cystic fibrosis are living longer, healthier, happier lives than ever before, thanks to advances in medicine and science.
Doctors and researchers are constantly on the lookout for new treatment options and lifestyle changes that can make a difference in how the disease is managed.
You may already be familiar with some of these suggestions, but some may also be new to you.
Here are a few things that can help.
1.Exercise
The way cystic fibrosis can make you feel, it’s understandable if exercise is the last thing you want to do.
Doctors recommend it though, to strengthen your heart and muscles.
The more regularly you exercise, the better you should feel, and that should make future exercising easier.
2. Take Some You Time
It’s easy to get caught up in all your physical symptoms and forget that these problems can also take a toll emotionally.
You’re more than just your body, and you need to take care of yourself emotionally and mentally as well.
Many people with cystic fibrosis also end up suffering from depression or anxiety, but you don’t have to be one of them.
These are a bit new but have been very extensively tested with some amazing results.
They don’t use any drugs, chemicals, or other irritants. Instead, they take advantage of oscillating positive expiratory pressure to loosen up the mucous and help your body to clear it out naturally.
The devices are fairly cheap, very safe, and can be used in only a few minutes per day.
4. Nutrition
While you may not feel up to cooking healthy meals every day, you should try to do it anyway.
Because cystic fibrosis affects the pancreas, it’s more difficult for your body to get the proper nutrients it requires.
If you don’t eat a healthy diet, you’ll compound that problem, and likely feel even worse because you’re not getting the food you need.
5. Keep It Clean
The extra mucus in your lungs is an easy breeding ground for all kinds of germs.
So staying clear of possible contamination is extra important — this means extra washing, avoiding sick people, and not sharing drinking straws or eating utensils with your family that may carry their saliva.
This is another situation where a lung cleaning device can also help, by reducing the amount of mucous build-up in your lungs.
It’s not easy living with cystic fibrosis, but with care and attention, it doesn’t have to be as horrible as it was in the past.
We have the tools and treatments to make life fairly comfortable — if you put in the effort.
Remember that exercise and eating healthy may be a lot of work, and may tire you out, but it’s going to pay off in the long run.
Maybe try out a lung cleaning device for a bit of extra breathing space — it might make your other activities a bit less tiring, and your breathing a little easier.
Most importantly of all, take care of yourself — physically, emotionally, and mentally.
You’ve got this.
