Check-in: How does COPD affect personal hygiene?

Practicing good personal hygiene is an important way to care for your mental and physical health. Good hygiene helps you feel and look your best, while also avoiding potential health issues like tooth decay.

However, COPD can complicate tasks that otherwise seem simple, like washing your hair or putting on socks. Here are some ideas to help you develop a COPD-friendly personal hygiene routine.

Taking a Shower or Bath

• During a shower or bath, the bathroom can become a hot and humid place. This can make breathing harder. Avoid running very hot water and use a more lukewarm temperature to minimize steam. Try opening windows, if possible, or leave the door open and run the exhaust fan.
• Showering can require a lot of physical effort. If you feel fatigued in the shower, use equipment to help. Consider getting a shower bench so you can sit while washing. Handheld shower heads can be useful, too, making it easier to control where the water hits you without moving your whole body.
• If you use supplemental oxygen, take it in the shower with you. Leave your tank or machine outside and wear your oxygen as usual.
• If you prefer not to shower daily, freshen up between showers with facial wipes, micellar water and cotton pads, or rinse-free bathing wipes. These can help remove dirt, sweat, and oils.

Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth

Research suggests that good oral health may support better lung health.¹ Keeping your teeth clean by brushing and flossing regularly prevents too much bacteria from growing in your mouth. This might reduce how much bacteria gets into your lungs. As a result, taking care of your teeth could help prevent exacerbations and respiratory infections.¹

• Practice good dental hygiene, which includes regular brushing, flossing, and dentist appointments.¹ At a minimum, dentists recommend brushing twice a day—once in the morning and once at night. Floss daily. Schedule regular dentist appointments every six months.
• Many people with COPD experience dry mouth. This can be caused by medications, oxygen usage, or breathing more through the mouth.² Saliva helps protect your teeth, so dry mouth can contribute to worse dental health.³ Help avoid dry mouth by drinking water regularly, chewing gum, and sucking on ice chips or sugar-free lozenges. You can also talk to your doctor about other treatment options, including medication.

Personal Grooming

Many personal grooming tasks, such as hair brushing and face shaving, use upper arm and shoulder muscles that can cause fatigue. If you struggle with these activities, consider pulmonary rehabilitation. Practicing specific muscle and breathing exercises can help make these movements easier.⁴

Here are some other things to consider:

• Short hair can be easier to manage. If you have long hair, try simple styles like buns and braids that can reduce tangling throughout the day.
• When it comes to moisturizing your skin, skip heavily scented products.⁵ If you use oxygen, you should also avoid moisturizers containing petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline. Whatever moisturizer you choose, apply often to keep skin healthy and hydrated.

Getting Dressed

• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Tight-fitting clothes may be uncomfortable, making it harder to breathe or leading to body aches and pains by limiting what muscles you use.^6-7
  • For women, this may mean opting out of wearing a bra. The tight-fitting band around the rib cage can be uncomfortable. Consider no bra under a loose shirt or dress. Alternatively, soft, wire-free bras or camisole tank tops can work well.
• Choose clothes and shoes that are easy to put on and take off. For example, slip-on shoes or shoes with Velcro fasteners can be better options than tennis shoes with laces.
• If you get fatigued while dressing, use tools to help. Place a chair or bench near your closet and sit down to dress. You can also try mobility aids, like a long-handled reacher and a sock aid, to minimize how much you have to move and bend.

Tell us in the comments: What does your personal hygiene routine look like? Feel free to share tips, routines, and product recommendations that work well for you.

Resources

• Gaeckle NT, Heyman B, Criner AJ, Criner GJ. Markers of dental health correlate with daily respiratory symptoms in COPD. Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis. 2018; 5(2): 97-105. doi: 10.15326/jcopdf.5.2.2017.0159
• Doder F, Vranić L, Šimunović L. Oral health status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Acta Clin Croat. 2024;63(2):376-383. doi:10.20471/acc.2024.63.02.14
• Su N, Marek CL, Ching V, Grushka M. Caries prevention for patients with dry mouth. J Can Dent Assoc. 2011;77:b85.
• Costa D, Cancelliero KM, Ike D, Laranjeira TL, Pantoni CB, Borghi-Silva A. Strategy for respiratory exercise pattern associated with upper limb movements in COPD patients. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2011;66(2):299-305. doi:10.1590/s1807-59322011000200020
• Ternesten-Hasséus E, Larsson S, Millqvist E. Sensitivity to environmental irritants and quality of life in COPD. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2011;6:685-691. doi:10.2147/COPD.S25839
• MacHose M, Peper E. The effect of clothing on inhalation volume. Biofeedback Self Regul. 1991;16(3):261-265. doi:10.1007/BF01000020
• Kim MH, Yoo WG. Effect of tight clothes on cervical and thoracic spine muscles during shoulder abduction. J Phys Ther Sci. 2016;28(5):1448-1449. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.1448