COPD: All you need to know about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a group of lung problems that affect your ability to breathe. The progressive condition causes irreversible damage to the lungs and requires early treatment. By making some lifestyle changes and taking some medications, you can manage the symptoms of the problem and prolong your life. Read further to know more about COPD causes, signs, and possible cures. Here you go!
What is COPD?
An umbrella term covering a range of lung problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a progressive condition. Patients suffering from this health issue typically have either chronic bronchitis or emphysema or both these lung problems. So, if you were diagnosed with this condition, you may have symptoms of one of these lung-damaging issues. While smoking is a major COPD cause, breathing in polluted air might also lead to breathing ailments. Since COPD progresses gradually, respiratory difficulties grow over time.
- Chronic bronchitis:
The health problem causes irritation in your bronchial tubes, which are responsible for carrying air to and from the lungs. In people suffering from this condition, the tubes swell and mucus builds up around the lining. Because of the latter, the tube’s opening gets narrowed, making it difficult to get the air inside and outside the lungs. Normally, the bronchial tubes have small hair-like structures called cilia, for moving mucus out of the airway. But irritation and smoking cause them damage.
- Emphysema:
In this condition, the walls of the tiny air sacs located at the end of bronchial tubes experience a breakdown. Imagine your lungs are like an upside-down tree, the windpipe is the trunk, the bronchi are the branches, and the air sacs are the leaves. So, these leaves or air sacs play a vital role in transferring oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the blood. When emphysema affects your body, it destroys the walls of air sacs and makes it difficult to catch a full breath.
How to differentiate asthma and COPD?
Both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are respiratory problems. They are similar in many ways and have common signs like shortness of breath and blocked airflow. But, unlike asthma, COPD is a chronic and progressive health problem. While asthma results from allergies, COPD’s cause is smoking.
The experts have observed no concrete link between the two diseases. So, people with asthma are not necessarily going to develop COPD, nor those with the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will necessarily develop asthma. However, someone can have both these conditions. And if you have both these health problems, you should consult your doctor to prepare a treatment plan that can cure both problems.
Is COPD a common health problem?
COPD can affect anyone who smokes or works in hazardous conditions. Although it is not very common, this respiratory problem can develop in anyone.
Who is likely to develop COPD?
Most people who smoke develop chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD). But not all smokers end up with this health problem. However, if you smoke and are vulnerable to the following risk factors, you should be concerned:
- If you are a woman.
- If you are someone above 65 years of age.
- People who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution.
- Those work around chemicals, dust, or fumes.
- People who suffered from respiratory infections during childhood.
- If you are someone with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT). It is a genetic risk factor for COPD.
What are the COPD causes?
- COPD causes:
Smoking tobacco is responsible for causing COPD in 90% of people. It irritates the airways and triggers inflammation. This results in narrowed airways and damaged cilia. This causes trouble in removing mucus and trapped particles from airways.
- AAT deficiency:
An uncommon and inherited disorder, AAT can lead to emphysema. Alpha-1 protects the lungs from the damaging effects of inflammation.
- Other causes:
Other possible COPD causes are:
- Inhaling passive smoke
- Breathing polluted air
- Being around workplace dust and fumes
- Having Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency
What are the common signs of COPD?
- Coughing with mucus
- Issues with taking a deep breath
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath when doing mild exercise
- Difficulty in taking deep breaths
- Shortness of breath when performing regular activities
Conclusion
COPD is a respiratory health problem. Patients suffering from this issue experience problems like shortness of breath, wheezing, and mucus.