Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is also known as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema are two commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs, where the airways are narrowed, causing limitation of airflow and thereby shortness of breath. This can progressively worsen over a period of time.

How is it caused?

-Smoking Tobacco

-Occupational Exposures like working in mines, textile industries.

-Air pollution

-Genetics

-Other risk factors

The major partner for bringing in COPD in one is Chronic Smoking. It is not necessary that smokers will develop COPD; however chain smokers have about 25% risk after 25years.

Moving on to occupational exposures, what exactly do we mean by occupational exposures? Is our work environment? Yes! It so is true. People working in coal/ gold mines, textile industries are all prone to chemicals like isocyanates, fumes from welding and cadmium. These obstruct airflow into the worker's body, this doesn't spare the non-smokers' as well.

Air Pollution: if you, who are reading this article live in a large city, then beware, you are more vulnerable than a person from a smaller city. This is because urban air-pollution might be a causative factor for COPD as it is known to slow down the usual growth of lungs. In developing countries, the cooking smoke from Biomass fuel is a very common reason why most people tend to get affected by COPD, especially women.

Genetics: Sometimes, it's your father grandfather's role in getting the patient COPD, even if he had nothing to do with it.

There are of course other risk factors as well. Inhaled irritants, bronchial hyper responsiveness, are a recognizable form of Asthma.

Treatment: You could rather call it management. How you manage your symptoms, will help you live a better life, if you are diagnosed with COPD, because there is no complete remedy that claims to cure Patients with COPD.

Risk factor reduction

1-Smoking Cessation: Stopping smoking will cut all the chances for COPD to graduate.

2-Occupational Health: Inspection of work areas and improving the locality of the work area will help workers lead a better life.

3-Air Pollution: it's always said, if you are sick, then you are supposed to stay indoors. No. It's a myth. The more you are inside, the more you are surrounded by your own viruses. So one needs to get out and get some fresh air.

Management of Stable COPD:

1-Bronchodilators: They are medicines that relax smooth muscles around the airways, and help increase the caliber of airways and improving airflow.

2-Corticosteroids: They act to reduce inflammation in the airways

3-Other medication: Theophylline is a bronchodilator and phosphodiesterase inhibitor that can reduce symptoms of COPD, when taken in large doses.

4-Supplemental oxygen: This can be given to patients who have low oxygen levels in their body.

5-Pulmonary Rehabilitation: It's a kind of an exercise, disease management and counseling co-ordinate d to benefit the patient.

6-Nutrition: Patients, with lesser BMI (BODY MASS INDEX)/ underweight can improve their breathing muscle strength by increased calorie intake.

7-Cold weather protection: COPD occurs due to breathing cold air. So knowing to manage your symptoms and protection against breathing cold air in winter will help.

8-Surgery: Bullectomy is the surgical removal of a large air-filled space that can squash the surrounding.