WEBVTT

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It depends on the level of symptoms,

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but we have stages
of management of COPD

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that your doctor
can provide treatment for.

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And it may be as simple as an inhaler

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that you would use occasionally
if you had mild shortness of breath.

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If your COPD is more severe,

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you may take an inhaler every day
to prevent shortness of breath.

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If it is even more severe,
we now have combination inhalers,

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where we can use different
medications in a single inhaler,

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sometimes just once or twice a day,

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that will meaningfully
reduce shortness of breath.

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Some folks that have COPD
also have an asthma overlap

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where both diseases may be present.

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And in that case,
we have inhaled corticosteroids,

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and those steroid medications
can be very effective

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in actually improving lung function.

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So that partnership will allow
your primary care physician

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to tell what type of COPD you have
and at what stage you are.

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And based upon that, give you
the treatment that is best for you.

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The other thing
that's really important for COPD,

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and a lot of patients
don't understand this,

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is pulmonary rehabilitation.

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We can teach you
how to effectively breathe,

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how to exercise without becoming
more short of breath,

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how to protect your lungs
from getting worse over time.

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And those pulmonary
rehabilitation programs

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have actually been shown
to reduce hospitalization,

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to reduce mortality from COPD.

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So a very, very important part
of that partnership.