Living Well with Interstitial Lung Disease

Plan activities for the time of day when you have more energy. Plan your tasks so that you don’t use more energy than you have to. For example, plan activities to limit the number of times you have to go up and down stairs.

Cook double the amount of food you need and freeze half of it for days when you may be too tired or busy to cook. You can also sit down while you prepare a meal or do the dishes.

Stretching an enjoyable way to relax your muscles, reduce stress and keep your body flexible. Stretching is a good way to warm up or cool down after other exercises. You should try to stretch every day.

Strength-building exercises work your muscles to make them stronger. You can use weights or resistance bands or your own body weight to strengthen your arms, legs and core (stomach and back). Squats, push ups or wall presses are examples of strength-building exercises you can do with your own body weight.

You should do strength-building exercises two or three times a week.

The Plate Method is an easy way for you to know if you're eating a balanced diet. Half your plate is fruits and vegetables, one quarter of your plate is whole grains and one quarter is protein. For more on the Plate Method, see Canada's Food Guide.

Eat your largest meal in the morning and smaller meals and snacks throughout the rest of the day. This can give you enough energy for the rest of the day.

Salt can cause your body to retain water, making it more difficult to breathe. Limiting salt is especially important if you have high blood pressure or heart disease or are taking corticosteroid medication. Look for the word “sodium” (salt) on food labels. Processed foods like canned soups, canned fish or meats can have a lot of sodium. Try to limit your salt to less than 2400 mg (or about one teaspoon) per day. An easy way to limit your salt intake is to remove the salt shaker from your table. This can help reduce the temptation to add salt to your food.

Gas or bloating can make it harder for you to breathe. Foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, turnips and carbonated drinks are just some of the foods that may cause problems for you.

There are many free or low-cost apps that provide soothing background music or nature sounds, like the sound of rain falling or waves on a beach. Focusing on your breathing and the sound of music or nature will help you slow your breathing and become more relaxed.

You can also ask your healthcare provider about what medications are available to help you quit.

Champix© (varenicline). This medication blocks the affects of nicotine in your brain so you don’t want to smoke. A prescription is required for this medication.

Zyban© (burpropion). It isn’t known exactly how this medication works to help you quit smoking. It can help you deal with the withdrawal affects of quitting. A prescription is required for this medication.

Medication works best when paired with counselling. Quitting with the help of counselling and medication will give you the best chance to quit smoking for good.

The plan does not have to complicated. It's your plan for your health and your future, so it can be anything you want it to be. A time may come when you are not able to tell your family or healthcare team what you want. Making a plan and talking to them about it will let them know what's important to you so that they can help support you. It will also make it less stressful for your family when making difficult decisions about your care.