What is COPD?

Health and Wellness » Respiratory Care in India » What is COPD

Many of the people suffer from respiratory disorder, but don't have a clue about what is COPD. COPD, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is incurable and a progressive illness that makes the person difficult to breathe. It is due to chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema combination. People having COPD have both these disorders present in them.

What is COPD?

What is COPD

COPD illness becomes worse over time. Some people think that breathing problem can be a problem because of their growing age or think that they are gaining weight. But understand that these signs can be worse if they are ignored.

The full form of COPD is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease where:

  • Chronic is long-term disease with which people live for many years
  • Obstructive is decreased airflow in and out of the lungs
  • Pulmonary means your lungs that include the tubes that take in air through your mouth and nose and into your lungs.
  • Disease is illness

COPD gets progressed from mild to moderate and then becomes severe. Though it is an incurable disease, treating the signs on time can definitely lessen them from getting worse. Make sure that you talk to the doctor on how to take preventive steps to manage this illness.

If the condition of asthma gets chronic and you have Emphysema, then there are high chances of you having COPD. Airways� damage will eventually interfere with the carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange in your lungs.

Causes: The risk factor that determines this disease is smoking a cigar. As per the American Lung Association, it has been noted that nearly 90% of people have been diagnosed as chronic smokers. However, understand that it is not necessary that non-smokers will not get affected by this disease.

Other risk factors like dust, pollutants at home, allergy to food and some inherited problems can also cause COPD. Another reason casuing COPD can be indoor or outdoor exposure to pollutants or due to some rare genetic disorder called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

Symptoms: The main symptoms are

  1. Chronic cough which is long lasting
  2. Breath shortness that becomes worse while exercising
  3. Mucus coming up when you cough
  4. If COPD becomes worse, you will feel breath shortness even when you change your clothes or have your meal. You find it difficult to exercise as breathing consumes lot of your energy. People lose their weight because of this illness.

Other symptoms are:

  • Sputum production and chronic cough
  • Dyspnea
  • Decreased intensity of breath sounds or prolonged expiration on physical examination.
  • Limitation to airflow while pulmonary function testing which is irreversible and often gets worse.

Diagnose: You doctor can perform the test that includes:

  • To check your pulse rate, temperature, blood pressure, pulse pressure and breathe per minute.
  • With the help of a stethoscope, listening to your heart
  • Checking your nose, ears, throat and eyes for infection signs if any
  • Verifying your fingers for signs of clubbing or cyanosis symptoms
  • To look for swelling in legs, feet or ankles or any other body parts
  • To evaluate the neck veins, so that COPD complications like cor pulmonale can be known.

Your physician will also suggest you to perform the chest x-ray if you try to reach the COPD diagnosis and through your treatment to monitor the progress. PFTs help to evaluate the function of lung and know the damage that has happened to your lungs. Spirometry is the common PFT.

Preventive Measures

  • Utilize a raised toilet seat
  • Throw away the medicines that are expired
  • Eliminate all rugs from the floors
  • Make sure that there is adequate lighting
  • Use non-slip shoes when moving about the home
  • Get rid of the cords and debris from pathways inside and outside the home
  • Arrange the safety bars inside bathrooms, bathtubs, showers and along walkways inside and outside the home.

Treatment

Once you know what COPD is and find any of its sign, then understand that it is always better to lessen its sign before it gets worse. COPD is an incurable disease and doctors have no clue on how to reverse the lungs and airways� damage that take place. But he is the only source for the treatment information. Change in lifestyle can help you stay more active and slow down the disease progress.