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Understanding COPD
(Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease)
The Basics
COPD develops over many years and is, therefore, most common in people over 60 years of age. People with this disease find it difficult to breathe, because the airflow to their lungs is partially blocked. As COPD progresses, breathing difficulties may make it challenging to carry out everyday activities.
The lung damage that causes symptoms does not heal and cannot be repaired. However, if you have mild to moderate COPD and stop smoking, you can slow the progress of the disease. While it is unlikely that you will be able to breathe as well as you would have if you had never smoked, you may be able to prevent or postpone more serious breathing problems.
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The two most common underlying diseases of COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
- Chronic bronchitis causes inflammation in your bronchial tubes, narrowing them and making breathing difficult. It can also cause a chronic cough that brings up mucus.
- Emphysema damages lung tissue and the tiny air sacs at the end of the airways in your lungs. When these tiny air sacs are damaged, air becomes trapped in your lungs, leaving you short of breath.
If you suffer from COPD, you may experience a rapid, sudden, and prolonged worsening of symptoms. This is called a COPD exacerbation.
What are the symptoms?
People who have COPD usually have symptoms of both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The symptoms will change depending on the severity of the condition. Key symptoms include:
- Chronic cough
- Wheezing
- Mucus production when coughing
- Repeated lung infections
- Persistent shortness of breath that gets worse with exercise or during a lung infection
As COPD progresses, your lungs are less able to function properly. Shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping are generally the main symptoms. Later, you may find that you get out of breath with little or no activity, which limits the things you can do.
Who is likely to get COPD?
Cigarette smoking is the underlying cause of COPD in 80% to 90% of cases, but exposure to dust and some fumes can also cause the condition. At one time COPD affected mostly men; however, the increase in women smokers over the past 50 years has resulted in a large number of women with COPD.
There are certain risk factors that increase your chances of developing COPD. Some can be controlled; others can’t. The risk factors you can control through healthy lifestyle choices include:
- Smoking: Your risk of developing COPD increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke per day and the number of years you have smoked. So butt out!
- Type of tobacco: Pipe and cigar smokers have less risk of developing COPD than cigarette smokers, but they still have a greater risk than non-smokers.
- Work hazards: If your work exposes you to industrial dust and chemical fumes over a long period of time, your risk of developing COPD will increase. Try to use safety equipment to reduce the amount of these irritants you breathe in.
- Outdoor air pollution: Air pollution can aggravate COPD, so try to remain inside when smog levels are high.
- Indoor air pollution: Make sure you have adequate ventilation in your home to minimize indoor air pollution.
The risk factors that are beyond your control include:
- Health issues: Having a low birth weight or repeated lung infections during your life puts you at higher risk of developing COPD. Having asthma or being sensitive to environmental triggers such as pollen also increases your risk.
- Genetics: People with a family history of COPD are more likely to develop the condition.
Diagnosing the Problem
COPD needs to be diagnosed carefully. Your doctor will begin by taking a medical history and performing a physical exam. Depending on the results, the doctor may also order chest x-rays and other tests such as lung function tests to determine if you have COPD and to rule out conditions with similar symptoms. The sooner COPD is detected, the better your chances of slowing the damage to your airways and lungs.
If you belong to one of the following high-risk groups, speak to your doctor about being screened for COPD, especially if you have any breathing difficulties:
- Smokers and ex-smokers
- People with chronic asthma
- People with a strong family history of emphysema
- People with on-the-job exposure to lung irritants, like chemicals
Screening is often done using a test called spirometry that can detect COPD in its early stages. This test measures how quickly you can move air in and out of your lungs and how much air is moved.
Treating COPD
Although there is no cure for COPD, proper diagnosis and care can help you manage this condition. Treatment focuses on slowing the progress of the disease and relieving symptoms. A lung rehabilitation program that includes counseling, education, physical exercise, breathing exercises, and nutritional guidance may help reduce your symptoms.
The main treatments for COPD include:
- Quitting smoking: This is the most important step you can take to prevent or slow damage to your lungs. No matter how long you have had COPD or how serious it is, quitting smoking will help slow the progression of the disease and improve your quality of life.
- Breathing easier: Do all you can to make breathing easier by avoiding air pollution, smog, high altitudes, and air that is either cold and dry or hot and humid. Take plenty of rest breaks during the day. Work with your health professional to learn breathing techniques that can improve airflow to your lungs.
- Staying active: Exercise strengthens your lungs and will help keep you more energetic. By remaining active, you may develop fewer complications, have a better attitude about your condition, and be less likely to become depressed.
- Avoiding illness: Staying healthy and avoiding respiratory illnesses, such as the flu and pneumonia, can help keep COPD from getting worse. Speak to your doctor about getting a yearly flu shot and other important vaccines.
- Eating well: People with COPD often struggle with muscle weakness and weight loss. A healthy balanced diet can help you avoid these problems.
- Medications: There are a number of medicines that are used to slow the progression of the disease and reduce symptoms. Among these medications are anticholinergics, inhaled corticosteroids, and beta2agonists. These drugs are bronchodilator medications that help you breathe easier and may prevent a COPD exacerbation (the onset of rapid, sudden, and prolonged worsening of symptoms).
Bronchodilator medications are usually used with an inhaler, a device that delivers more medication directly to the lungs where it is needed. Your pharmacist can help you understand the different medications and their effects and the proper way to use an inhaler.
Helping Yourself
If you have COPD, it’s important to treat more than the disease and its symptoms. You should learn all you can about the condition. That will help you work with your doctor to develop a personal treatment plan that is right for you.
Shortness of breath may reduce your activity level and make you feel socially isolated, because you cannot enjoy regular activities with your family and friends. Counseling and support groups can help you and your family cope with the effects of COPD.
Learning that you have a disease that may shorten your life can bring on feelings of depression or grief. Anxiety can make respiratory symptoms worse. Support from family and friends can reduce anxiety and stress and make it easier to live with your condition.
Stay committed to your treatment plan. A self-reward system—such as a night out after sticking to your medication and exercise schedule for a week—can help keep you motivated.
If you have any questions about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or how to manage it, speak to your pharmacist
The material in this pamphlet has been supplied by a professional medical writer. It is intended for information purposes only and should not be used in place of consultation with a health care professional. Axis Pharmacy is not responsible for errors, omissions, or inconsistencies with respect to the information contained in this pamphlet and does not accept any liability whatsoever for reliance by the reader on the information contained herein.
© Promo-Ad & Associates Inc., 2005
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