Other therapies

Some people do not get enough oxygen from the air so are prescribed this therapy to help improve oxygen delivery to the vital organs. 

When used appropriately, oxygen can help improve survival and quality of life.  

Long term oxygen therapy does not help breathlessness in people whose oxygen levels are not low. It is not a treatment for breathlessness. In COPD, breathlessness is usually caused by difficulty moving air in and out of the lungs, rather than by low oxygen levels. 

Your respiratory doctor or nurse will be able to assess you and advise if oxygen would be of benefit. You should not use home oxygen therapy unless it has been prescribed to you by a healthcare professional. 

People who smoke cannot be prescribed home oxygen due the fire risk to themselves and others around them. 

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or BiPAP can help to support the lungs and reduce the work of breathing. It can make it easier to breathe and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the body. COPD can affect the body's ability to remove carbon dioxide. If this builds up, it can make COPD symptoms worse and put additional strain on the body.  

NIV involves wearing a tight-fitting mask over your nose or face connected to an NIV machine and helps get air into the lungs. 

You may get NIV if you are unwell in hospital with a flare-up or exacerbation of COPD and your blood carbon dioxide levels are high. You can also be given long-term NIV at home if your carbon dioxide levels remain high. In this circumstance, using the NIV machine regularly at home can help stabilise your chest and reduce the risk of you becoming unwell and need to come back into hospital. 

People who are using NIV treatment for their COPD should be under the care of a respiratory specialist team. 

Lung volume reduction procedures 

Lung volume reduction (LVR) is a treatment for emphysema (a form of COPD). The procedure involves removing the most damaged parts of the lungs so that the healthier parts can work better. This should make it easier to breathe.  

LVR can be very effective but only a very small proportion of people with emphysema are likely to be suitable.   

Your respiratory specialist doctor will be able to review whether LVR may be right for you. 

More information can be found at Lung volume reduction (LVR) | Asthma + Lung UK

Lung transplantation 

Lung transplantation involves removing a lung or pair of lungs and replacing them with lungs from a donor. Only a very small number of people with COPD are suitable for a lung transplant  

Lung transplants are not common in the UK and are only performed at specialised transplant centres.  

Your respiratory specialist doctor will be able to review whether referral for consideration of a lung transplant would be suitable for you.