| What does COPD mean? COPD stands for Chronic | | | | and goes initially but tends to become persistent as |
| Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It encompasses two | | | | time passes. Breathlessness is usually intermittent and |
| types of disease processes namely chronic bronchitis | | | | only occurs with exertion in the beginning, however if |
| and emphysema. Quite often, people who suffer from | | | | you continue to smoke, the breathlessness persists |
| COPD show a combination of features of both | | | | even when you are at rest, this can be quite |
| disease processes. In lay person's term, COPD means | | | | distressing! Other symptoms are chronic sputum |
| persistent lung disease with features of airway | | | | production, where you constantly cough up phlegm all |
| narrowing. To be more specific, bronchitis means | | | | day and recurrent chest infection. People with COPD |
| inflammation of the bronchi or the larger airways of | | | | are more prone to chest infection for obvious reasons, |
| the lungs whereas emphysema means destruction to | | | | as the lining in the lung looses its normal defense |
| the smaller airways and alveoli or airsacs of the lungs. | | | | mechanism against intruding bugs.COPD sounds like |
| Thus COPD is commonly used to describe chronic | | | | asthma, are they any different? Yes. Both COPD and |
| bronchitis, emphysema, or both.Is COPD a common | | | | asthma cause similar symptoms, however, they are |
| condition? It is one of the commonest conditions that | | | | different in certain ways. COPD causes permanent |
| require hospital admission during period of flare-ups. | | | | damage to the airways. The obstruction is 'fixed', |
| According to one epidemiology study in the US, | | | | hence it is irreversible in general terms. However, |
| approximately eight million people have chronic | | | | airway narrowing in asthma is intermittent and |
| bronchitis whereas 2 million people have emphysema. | | | | reverses quite easily with medication. Having said that, |
| As we can see, chronic bronchitis is more common | | | | both COPD and asthma is common, people who |
| than emphysema.What are the causes of COPD? | | | | suffer COPD can have an asthmatic component and |
| Smoking. Smoking is the number 1 cause of COPD. | | | | vice versa.What tests are needed to diagnose |
| More than 90 percent of COPDs are caused by | | | | COPD? A test called spirometry is often performed to |
| smoking, cigarette or otherwise. About 30 percent of | | | | diagnose COPD. Bronchodilators (drugs that cause the |
| long term smokers will eventually show symptoms of | | | | airway to dilate) are usually added to confirm the |
| COPD of varying degrees. Other causes include air | | | | diagnosis. If the test result does not show |
| pollution and inherited enzyme deficiency namely | | | | improvement with bronchodilators, then COPD is very |
| alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.How does smoking cause | | | | likely.What are the treatments of COPD? First of all. |
| COPD? Smoking inadvertently damages the lining of | | | | Stop smoking. This cannot be stressed enough. |
| the airways. As with any other part of the body in | | | | Smoking cessation is the first thing you have to do if |
| response to injury, inflammation occurs. Inflammation | | | | you want to get better. As the underlying mechanism |
| stimulates the damaged lining to secrete mucus in an | | | | of COPD is irreversible, medications are used with an |
| abnormal amount and also causes the airway to | | | | aim to slow down it's progress. Drugs that are |
| constrict (narrow).What are the symptoms of COPD? | | | | commonly used to treat COPD include short-acting |
| The two main symptoms are cough and | | | | bronchodilator inhalers (i.e. salbutamol), long-acting |
| breathlessness. COPD sufferers commonly complain | | | | bronchodilator inhalers (i.e. tiotropium), steroid inhalers |
| about breathlessness and cough that develop gradually | | | | and tablets are all available drugs for treatment of |
| over a long period of time. The cough that COPD | | | | COPD. Again, no treatment is more important that stop |
| sufferer gets are usually productive which means they | | | | smoking. Lung transplant is the last option and should |
| commonly cough up phlegm. The cough usually comes | | | | be reserved for people with severe COPD. |