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This brochure explains how a pulmonary rehabilitation program can help you live better with lung disease.
Swollen or damaged airways can make it difficult to breathe. When these conditions are progressive, understanding the symptoms and treatment options is important. If you have any questions about your condition, talk to your healthcare provider.Learn more
Over time, damage to the heart and blood vessels may lead to health problems like high blood pressure, high lipids, acute coronary syndrome and heart failure. If you have any questions about your condition, talk to your healthcare provider.Learn more
Over time, damage to the kidneys may lead to health problems like hyperkalemia and anemia. If you have any questions about your condition, talk to your healthcare provider.Learn more
Maintaining a healthy level of glucose (sugar) in the blood and understanding the symptoms and complications when the levels are too high or low is essential to managing diabetes. If you have any questions about your condition, talk to your healthcare provider.Learn more
If you've been diagnosed with cancer, you will likely have questions about the disease, how it may be treated and what outcome you might expect with your health condition. It can be hard to understand what cancer means and difficult to talk about. If you have any questions about your condition, talk to your healthcare provider.Learn more
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Pulmonary Rehabilitation
You or someone you know may have an ongoing pulmonary or lung condition. This handout explains how a pulmonary rehabilitation program can help you live better with lung disease.
A Custom Designed Program
Before you start your program, your health care team will:
Breathing tests show how well you breathe in and out, and how much air your lungs can hold.
You may also be asked to perform a six-minute walk test.
Your health care team will use your health history and test results to custom design your program. Your program may include three main parts:
Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Exercise
Over time, exercise can make your lungs and heart work better. It may also increase the amount of time you can perform your daily activities, such as work, shopping, and exercise.
Your program may include aerobic exercise. This type of exercise makes you breathe harder and your heart beat faster.
Strength-training exercises can make your muscles stronger, and stretching exercises can improve your flexibility.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Education
Education may include classes that will help you understand, manage and cope with your lung disease. Classes and your health care team can help:
Talk to your doctor if you have questions about your medication, or have any side effects. It is important to take your medications as directed by your doctor.
Understand how disease affects your lungs.
Learn breathing exercises.
Make lifestyle changes.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Counseling
Your program may also include counseling. This can help you cope with worry or depression you may have about your lung health.
The Goals of Pulmonary Rehabilitation
After a few months, you may be given additional exercises and lung tests.
These tests will help your healthcare team know if you're reaching the program goals. Pulmonary rehabilitation goals include:
The information in this handout has been created and peer reviewed by graduate-level medical illustrators, followed by reviews from medical subject experts, either physicians or PhDs on the Nucleus Medical Review Board, to ensure medical accuracy and audience level appropriateness.
The handout is intended to supplement the information you receive from your health care provider and should never be considered personal medical advice. Always contact your health care provider with health questions and concerns.
