While many people are aware of respiratory problems such as asthma, many are unaware of the complications and amount of people that suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. COPD affects over 600,000 people in the UK alone and is actually responsible for killing more than 30,000 people every year. Even with this staggering numbers many people do not even realize that COPD is a dangerously fatal medical condition.
COPD is the common name for a number of varying conditions that affect the lungs such as bronchitis and emphysema. In all cases, the condition arises from obstructed airways and a difficulty when it comes to regular breathing. The harder it is for a person to engage in the normal act of breathing, the harder it becomes to live a healthy and lengthy life.
In most cases COPD is caused by smoking. It has been labeled as a smokers’ disease and the damage that is caused by tobacco directly correlates with damaged lungs within a patient. There are other factors though including air pollution or even certain jobs that force someone to be in an unhealthy environment. However it is very uncommon for people that do not smoke to suffer from COPD.
The first symptom of this condition is a cough that does not seem to ever go away. This cough is the body’s way of trying to get more oxygen in and more phlegm and mucus out. In less serious cases of COPD these symptoms may only actually occur during certain points of the year such as an especially cold winter. In severe cases a patient becomes unable to perform routine tasks such was walking or lifting objects without becoming too short of breath.
While there is no clear-cut cure for COPD simply quitting smoking or never starting will almost altogether take away any risk you may have of suffering from the condition. However, if you have smoked for years, the damage may already be done and there is no way to reverse it. Your best bet is to quit smoking as soon as possible or better yet, never begin. Aside from smoking, engaging in regular physical activity and eating healthy can go a long way to reducing your chances of getting COPD.
In other cases, people who suffer from other lung diseases are advised to get regular checkups that may test for COPD. If a case of COPD gets too serious it can be a very problematic condition. The worse a person’s lungs get, the less oxygen is able to get into the bloodstream and it can lead to ever worse medical conditions.
In terms of treatment the most common form is inhalers and bronchodilator medications. This treatment can open up the airways and make it easier for oxygen to get in and out of the body. In very serious cases often steroid medications are used in order to strengthen the body and lungs so that the body can combat the condition more effectively and thus protect itself from relating issues.
© Insider Health
COPD is the common name for a number of varying conditions that affect the lungs such as bronchitis and emphysema. In all cases, the condition arises from obstructed airways and a difficulty when it comes to regular breathing. The harder it is for a person to engage in the normal act of breathing, the harder it becomes to live a healthy and lengthy life.
In most cases COPD is caused by smoking. It has been labeled as a smokers’ disease and the damage that is caused by tobacco directly correlates with damaged lungs within a patient. There are other factors though including air pollution or even certain jobs that force someone to be in an unhealthy environment. However it is very uncommon for people that do not smoke to suffer from COPD.
The first symptom of this condition is a cough that does not seem to ever go away. This cough is the body’s way of trying to get more oxygen in and more phlegm and mucus out. In less serious cases of COPD these symptoms may only actually occur during certain points of the year such as an especially cold winter. In severe cases a patient becomes unable to perform routine tasks such was walking or lifting objects without becoming too short of breath.
While there is no clear-cut cure for COPD simply quitting smoking or never starting will almost altogether take away any risk you may have of suffering from the condition. However, if you have smoked for years, the damage may already be done and there is no way to reverse it. Your best bet is to quit smoking as soon as possible or better yet, never begin. Aside from smoking, engaging in regular physical activity and eating healthy can go a long way to reducing your chances of getting COPD.
In other cases, people who suffer from other lung diseases are advised to get regular checkups that may test for COPD. If a case of COPD gets too serious it can be a very problematic condition. The worse a person’s lungs get, the less oxygen is able to get into the bloodstream and it can lead to ever worse medical conditions.
In terms of treatment the most common form is inhalers and bronchodilator medications. This treatment can open up the airways and make it easier for oxygen to get in and out of the body. In very serious cases often steroid medications are used in order to strengthen the body and lungs so that the body can combat the condition more effectively and thus protect itself from relating issues.
© Insider Health
