A few years back, one of the Harvard Medical School publications put out a "10 Tips for Coping with Chronic Illness" piece. I thought it might be helpful to adapt their advice to coping with COPD, as COPD is a chronic, long-term condition.

When you have something acute, such as the common cold, the flu, a bug bite or poison ivy, it can be annoying and you may feel awful. However, you know that it will eventually pass and you'll feel better. But when you have a chronic condition like COPD, it's not ever going away. In fact, you can expect that as the years move on, your health will deteriorate further. And that can be tough to take. But, you CAN adapt, take charge of managing your COPD and still live a positive life for much longer by paying attention to the following tips.

1. Learn everything you can about COPD. The best ammunition for managing a chronic condition like COPD is to understand what it is, how it affects you and what your options are for treatment. Start with your doctor and/or doctor's health professionals, such as registered nurses on staff. Ask questions; don't let them put you off because they are busy. You have the right to get answers!

Read and learn about COPD and its treatment. Just make sure that the information you're getting is reputable. There is a lot of misinformation about health, especially on the Internet. This HealthCentral website can be trusted, as can most hospital websites and organizations such as the American Lung Association. Your doctor's office may have pamphlets you can get or ask them to recommend specific books you could read about COPD.

2. Think of your doctor as your teammate -- not your boss -- in COPD  management. Your doctor is a health and disease expert, but YOU are the expert when it comes to your own body. Listen to your body and keep an ongoing record of changes, of how you respond to treatment and your symptoms.

You and your healthcare professionals both have equal responsibility (and the right!) to evaluate treatment options and to take control of your COPD. Work together on your treatment plan. Maintain open lines of communication with your doctor, or if that's not possible, then think about finding a different doctor, perhaps a specialist in respiratory care.

3. Expand your COPD management team. Your primary care physician is not necessarily your be all or end all when it comes to managing every aspect of your health. You might want to consult periodically with a respiratory specialist, if your regular doctor is a generalist.

Sometimes a nurse is a better resource for learning about COPD. Or, if you're trying to lose weight to lighten the load on your respiratory system, you might consult with a nutritionist or a fitness expert. An occupational therapist can help you adapt your home for better energy conservation. The pharmacist may be more knowledgeable than anyone about what kinds of side effects to expect from your medications or in how your COPD meds might interact with other medications you are taking.