The COPD Podcast

The COPD Podcast is a health podcast series dedicated to raising awareness for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and helping those affected by the condition live their best lives. Each episode explores a particular aspect of COPD, from diagnosis to management and beyond. You'll hear from clinicians, advocates, caregivers, and people from all walks of life who currently live with COPD.

The COPD Podcast is produced by Mission Based Media in partnership with the COPD Foundation.

Whether you are a person with COPD, a caregiver, or a clinician, we trust you'll find The COPD Podcast to be a valuable companion along your journey!


COPD Podcast Episode 1: What is COPD?

The premiere episode of The COPD Podcast is your introduction to the world of COPD. Discover what COPD is, what causes it, and how COPD is diagnosed. Join host Micaela Arneson as she walks through COPD basics and recommends resources to expand your knowledge. You'll also hear from patient advocates Jan Cotton and John Linnell as they speak to the experiences of people newly diagnosed as well as how to write the next chapter of your story. Pulmonologist David Mannino, MD, and respiratory therapist Mike Hess, RRT, cover the clinical side of COPD diagnosis, the essentials of how the lungs work, and how that can go awry in COPD. In this episode you'll also learn the importance of staying engaged with caregivers and your community.


COPD Podcast Episode 2: Kicking the Habit: Tips and Strategies to Quit Smoking

Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for COPD, and one of the most important things someone with COPD can do is stop smoking. Of course, this is much easier said than done! The good news is there are many strategies to help smokers kick their habit, and you can learn about them here. Plus, you'll learn how smoke affects the lungs and find out whether e-cigarettes are safe for people with COPD to use.


COPD Podcast Episode 3: Taking Control of COPD: Medication and Pulmonary Rehabilitation

This episode is all about treatments to slow down the progression of COPD symptoms after diagnosis. John Linnell and Jan Cotton return to discuss their experiences with pulmonary rehabilitation and barriers to joining these specialized exercise programs. Mike Hess, RRT, is back and is joined by respiratory therapist colleague Stephanie Williams, RRT, to talk about pulmonary rehab from the clinical side, as well as what babies, opera singers, and harmonica players can teach us about breathing. Our RT duo is joined by pulmonologist Mina Perzadeh, MD, to talk about the different medications used to manage symptoms.


COPD Podcast Episode 4: Treating COPD: Oxygen Therapy and Late-Stage Interventions

This episode highlights complex cases of COPD, where medications alone aren't enough to keep symptoms at bay. One of the most common non-medication therapies is the use of supplemental oxygen, and David Mannino, MD, fills us in on how blood oxygen levels are measured. Jan Cotton, Jean Rommes, and John Linnell return to talk about their respective journeys with oxygen therapy and highlight the different types of oxygen equipment. They also offer up real talk about the stigma of being seen as "sick" in public has affected each of them, with Jan reminding oxygen users, "You are NOT alone!" Mina Perzadeh, MD, discusses more advanced therapies like noninvasive ventilation and lung transplants and how genetic COPD can be treated and, Mike Hess, RRT, joins to help fill in the gaps.


COPD Podcast Episode 5: Living Well with COPD

COPD can have a major impact on one's daily life. However, a COPD diagnosis doesn't mean life is over…just that it looks a little different. Each of our guests with COPD discuss their 'new normal' after the diagnosis, including the importance of exercise and good nutrition. Nurse practitioner Kelly Becker, FNP-BC, discusses common conditions that occur alongside COPD including heart disease and depression. Mike Hess, RRT, and Stephanie Williams, RRT, talk about how to design good COPD action plans that cover movement and healthy food choices-some of critical basics for those newly diagnosed with COPD. Finally, doctors Mina Perzadeh, MD, and David Mannino, MD, reinforce the importance of all-around healthy living.


COPD Podcast Episode 6: Managing COPD Exacerbations, or "Flare-Ups"

The COPD Podcast series continues by covering the dreaded flare-up of COPD symptoms, often called an "exacerbation." Mike Hess, RRT, explains what an exacerbation is, David Mannino, MD, discusses who is at risk for exacerbations, and Mina Perzadeh MD, covers how to treat them. Our patient team of Jan Cotton, John Linnell, and Jean Rommes describe their experiences with these flare-ups, including how they talk to their clinicians about managing them and how to use tools like the My COPD Action Plan to avoid them. Stephanie Williams, RRT, returns to discuss how to return home from the hospital safely after a bad flare, as well as how caregivers can find support for their loved one with COPD, through the COPD360social network.


COPD Podcast Episode 7: Genetic COPD

Most of the time, COPD is caused by smoking or other air pollutants. But in some cases, COPD is caused by a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency or AATD. In this episode, the podcast covers what AATD is, what causes it, how it's treated, and why getting genetic testing for alpha-1 is so important. You'll also hear from genetic counselor Sydney Rudowski on the impact of her profession on people diagnosed and hear firsthand about living with genetic COPD from an advocate named Alyssa.


Events

The following are select COPD Foundation events and recordings. For a full library of our recordings, please visit the COPD Foundation YouTube channel.


COPD Medical Minute Video Series

Are you new to living with COPD? Are you looking for information to help your friends and family understand COPD? If so, the COPD Medical Minute is just the resource you are looking for. The COPD Medical Minute is a three-part video series that answers commonly asked questions in an easy-to-understand way. These videos will address topics such as, what is COPD? How is it diagnosed? What are the symptoms? How is it treated? and more. Take a look, and then when you are ready, there is more information for you to explore under the Learn More tab at the top of the page. The COPD Foundation is here to help you as you learn to live well with COPD. This video series was created by AstraZeneca in partnership with the COPD Foundation.


Your Radio Doctor - Episode 94: COPD & The Dangers of Smoking/Vaping

Listen to this recent segment of “Your Radio Doctor” with Marianne Ritchie, MD. In this segment, Ruth Tal-Singer, PhD, former President, 360Net, and David Mannino III, MD, Co-founder and Medical Director of the COPD Foundation, highlight chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tune in to learn more about the disease, symptoms, and causes, and the Foundation’s 360 support for people with COPD, caregivers, and health care providers.


A Conversation About Coping with a Chronic Disease

In this recent Facebook Live event, the COPD Foundation’s Mike Hess, MPH, RRT, RPFT, Senior Director of Public Outreach and Education, spoke with special guest Gabrielle Davis, MPH, MA, RRT, LPC, of Equitable Counseling & Consulting about ways to cope with a chronic disease. Topics include anxiety, stress, and depression.


On Air With the COPD Foundation: Inhaler Technique & Maintaining a Daily

The COPD Foundation’s Mike Hess, MPH, RRT, RPFT, Senior Director of Public Outreach and Education, moderated a conversation with pulmonologist Xavier Soler, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at University of California San Diego, and Global Senior Medical Director at Regeneron, and two individuals living with COPD on the importance of choosing the right inhaler and maintaining a daily schedule.