Background
Multifaceted and varied complications accompany COPD
due to the emotional, cognitive, economic and social limitations imposed on daily activities by the disease process. The disease does not limit its complications to respiratory function difficulties. Patients will sometimes avoid satisfying even their most basic needs to minimize oxygen intake. They experience changes in eating and sleeping habits along with the progression of respiratory difficulties. Physical and social limitations additionally affect a patient’s psychological status. Such a situation can result in social isolation. These problems limit patients’ freedom and lead to loss of self-confidence (Barnett 2005, Fraser et al. 2006, Tel et al. 2006, Gullick & Stainton 2007, Russell et al. 2011). Studies show that lives of patients with COPD can become so negatively affected by respiratory difficulties that they become unable to live up to their roles and responsibilities and that emotional changes relative to their inability to
manage the disease and its symptoms result in a reduction in their social activity (Low & Gutman 2003, Wall 2007, Boot et al. 2009).