When I posted my Top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas for the COPD Patient, I got some flack from one of the COPD message boards that I was way off the mark as far as gift giving goes. In response to those posts, I re-worded the title which is now 10 Practical Gift Ideas for the COPD Patient. I hope this sounds a bit more appropriate for the article I wrote.

In my own defense, however, I must add that since this is a COPD site, of COURSE I am going to have Christmas gift ideas designed with the COPD patient in mind. I hope my readers understand this and don't take offense and also trust that I do realize that COPD patients would like regular gifts too.

In light of the reaction I got, I thought it would be fun to design a User Answer asking COPD patients what they DON'T want for Christmas. This way, readers can decide for themselves and share it with the rest of us.

So, without any further adieu, here it is:

What COPD Patients Don't Want for Christmas

Did you know that people who develop COPD are generally a bit shorter in height than the rest of the population? At least this is what data from a British research study is saying.

The British Thoracic Society announced last Thursday that they found people diagnosed with COPD were on average, 1.12 cm shorter than the general population. This difference was most notable in those between the ages of 35 and 50.

So what does height have to do with COPD? Scientists believe that it may be a marker for social deprivation. Researchers, in fact, suggest that individuals who come from poor backgrounds or live in deprived communities:

• may have had mothers who smoked during pregnancy increasing their chances of having a low birth weight baby which can place people at risk for certain diseases.
• may have had poor nutrition during developmental years which may have affected growth and lung development.
• may have lived among family members who smoked, and be a smoker themselves, a major risk factor for COPD, in and of itself.

Professor Mike Morgan, Chairman of The British Thoracic Society and Respiratory Consultant made this comment:

"We need to make it easier for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to make positive life choices and improvements to their health - whether it be eating well or stopping smoking".

When assessing patients, doctors should consider information gathered from this study and place it alongside smoking status and other COPD symptoms in an effort to diagnose COPD early on in the course of the disease, before considerable damage has been done.

What do you think of this news? Significant or hogwash? If you can't decide, maybe we should do our own study. If you have COPD, how tall are you?

Are you wracking your brain to find the perfect Christmas gift for someone you know and love who has COPD? Look no further! I have put together a list of some of my favorite  must-haves for the season, which includes a variety of essential items that COPD patients may find very useful. From keeping warm to keeping fit, this list has it all:

While many of us don't think twice about getting through our holiday meals with ease and enjoyment, people with COPD may be facing their turkey dinners with great apprehension. Why? Because, put simply, shortness of breath gets in the way of everything a COPD patient does, including eating.

If you are a COPD patient, the good news is, you don't have to avoid the dinner table this year. You can learn to manage shortness of breath, before it manages you.  Here are some handy, holiday mealtime tips:

Tips for Avoiding Shortness of Breath During Meals

Breaking the Dyspnea Cycle

Exercises To Help You Breathe Better