Individuals living with chronic lung conditions know the daily struggle that comes with every breath. Pulmonary rehab acts as a breath of relief for them. It is a supervised program where a person with chronic lung disease improves their ability to breathe and function properly.
In this blog, we will take you through an in-depth overview, explain the procedure, outline the risks and benefits, and answer some frequently asked questions around what is pulmonary rehab.
What is Pulmonary Rehab?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program of education, exercise, and emotional support that increases awareness about your lungs and your diseases. The skills and knowledge learned in the program will help you feel better and manage your chronic lung disease. You will become stronger by increasing your level of fitness.
It's not a cure for lung disease, but it dramatically improves day-to-day life by teaching techniques to manage symptoms, increase stamina, and prevent further health deterioration.
Common conditions that pulmonary rehabilitation helps with include:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Asthma
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Lung cancer
- Post-COVID recovery
- Other chronic respiratory diseases
Procedure Details: What Happens During Pulmonary Rehab?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program that helps strengthen your breathing muscles and teaches you ways to manage living with chronic lung disease. Moreover, it is a program designed to improve overall health for people with lung diseases. Programs last for six to 12 weeks. It is decided depending on the individual's health condition, fitness level, and goals. Here's what you can expect during the program at Jagruti Rehab in Delhi:
Initial Assessment
Before beginning, a detailed evaluation is conducted, which includes your current health, a medical history, exercise capacity tests, psychological assessment, physical examination, and possibly a lung function test. This assessment helps the doctors understand your specific needs and determine your goals for the program.
Based on the assessment, a tailored program is developed to address the individual's unique challenges and goals.
Exercise Training
Exercise is an important feature of pulmonary rehab. Activities focus on:
- Breathing techniques
- Supervised exercises
- Strength training for muscles
- Stretching and flexibility exercises
The assessment helps to determine your specific needs and goals for the program without putting excessive strain on your lungs.
Education
Education is the core part of pulmonary rehab. It helps you to understand your condition, use treatments properly, and make smart choices in daily life to breathe more easily and stay well.
Educational sessions cover:
- Specific lung conditions
- Medication Management
- Using oxygen therapy
- Recognising early signs of complications
Nutritional Counseling
Nutritional counselling is a key part of pulmonary rehab because what you eat directly affects how well you breathe, your energy levels, and your ability to manage your lung condition. Advice on eating well to maintain a healthy weight and support lung function is a part of the program.
Dietitians offer personalised plans to:
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Boost energy levels
- Support lung function
- Burn Calories
Psychological Support
Living with chronic lung conditions can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being, and that's where psychological support in pulmonary rehab makes a big difference. It's about helping you feel calmer, more confident, and improving your ability to handle the ups and downs of your health.
Counselling and group support sessions help you to cope with anxiety, depression, and stress related to your lung condition.
Risks and Benefits of Pulmonary Rehab
Like any medical program, pulmonary rehab comes with life-enhancing benefits, but it also presents some challenges.
Benefits:
- Improved breathing techniques: Improved breathing techniques are an important aspect of the rehab program as they help you breathe more efficiently. Furthermore, participating in daily activities makes your life easier.
- Enhanced exercise capacity: The program focuses on strengthening muscles and improving cardiovascular function. For that, individuals need to exercise longer and at higher intensities to increase their stamina.
- Better quality of life: The program can enhance mental well-being, reduce fatigue, and increase overall quality of life. It also improves mood, confidence and ability to socialise.
- Emotional well-being: It helps in reducing anxiety and depression.
- Empowered self-management: In the rehab program, the goal is to give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to handle your symptoms, treatments, and day-to-day challenges on your own.
Risks:
- Exertion-related injuries: Overdoing exercises without supervision can lead to muscle sprain or joint pain.
- Exacerbation of symptoms: An exacerbation of symptoms means your lung condition suddenly gets worse; more breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing. Some individuals may experience increased shortness of breath, fatigue, or muscle soreness initially during exercise, but these symptoms usually improve as the program progresses.
- Emotional challenges: Pulmonary rehabilitation can present emotional challenges like anxiety, depression, and feelings of helplessness or isolation due to chronic lung diseases. However, these improve with counselling, support groups, and stress management techniques.
At Jagruti Rehab, all programs are supervised by experienced healthcare professionals to minimise risks and ensure a safe, encouraging environment.
Recovery and Outlook
Pulmonary rehab doesn't "cure" lung disease, but it drastically improves the quality of life for many people. After completing a program, you feel very positive, with many experiencing reduced anxiety and a better ability to manage daily activities. One needs to understand the journey of healing. It does not end with the rehab program. It's a lifestyle change, which means you need to keep working on yourself and continue with what you have learnt. Continued efforts allow you to feel more in control and live more independently.
Lung recovery and improvement in symptoms depend on the severity of the lung condition and individual commitment to the treatment offered at the rehabilitation centre. You can expect noticeable improvements within a few weeks of starting the rehab program. The ideal time to expect improvement can be determined by the doctors in charge after the assessment.
You need to remember that, in most cases, lung diseases cannot be reversed. However, with pulmonary rehab, you get equipped with tools and skills to live a more fulfilling life despite the condition.
Why Should You Take Pulmonary Rehab With Us?
At Jagruti Rehab, we believe in personalisation, compassionate care, and holistic wellbeing. Thus, with a team of skilled and experienced professionals, such as pulmonologists, physiotherapists, dietitians, and counsellors, we have created a program to address respiratory issues that meets the unique needs of each patient. We aim to address and work on physical fitness, emotional resilience, and education for a powerful recovery journey.
The pulmonary rehabilitation program at Jagruti Rehab improves the lives of individuals with chronic lung conditions. We help them to breathe easily, increase exercise tolerance, and manage daily activities more effectively. We also use therapy to reduce anxiety and depression and improve overall quality of life.
If you or your loved one is wondering what pulmonary rehab is and how it can make a difference, Jagruti Rehab is here to guide you every step of the way. Contact us today to take the first breath towards a healthier tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
Pulmonary rehab, or pulmonary rehabilitation, is a supervised program designed to help people with chronic lung conditions, like asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. It helps increase stamina and improve the quality of life of the patients. The program includes breathing techniques, education on managing lung conditions, nutritional counselling, and psychological support.
Pulmonary rehab is generally recommended for people who have chronic respiratory diseases that cause symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, or reduced exercise ability. Anyone with a chronic respiratory condition that limits daily activities is typically eligible. Furthermore, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and post-COVID lung damage are some of the major reasons. However, it is only after a thorough assessment that eligibility is determined.
The cost of pulmonary rehabilitation in India is based on several factors, such as the location, type of facility, duration of the program, and specific treatments required. However, some insurance plans may cover the treatment. Jagruti Rehab provides affordable and customised pulmonary rehab programs.
People struggling with symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, or decreased activity levels due to chronic lung disease get the most benefit. The rehab program is ideal for those wanting to improve their quality of life despite the condition. It is also helpful for individuals recovering from lung surgeries or severe respiratory infections. The rehab program helps people improve their lung capacity, ability to be active, breathing quality, and reduce the need to visit hospitals significantly.
Share
Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre is a leading facility specializing in mental health, dementia, and addiction recovery. The team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and caregivers is committed to empowering individuals on their journey to recovery.
