Obstructive Airway Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

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

Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are two diseases often co-existing in the lungs where the airways are narrowed, causing restriction of airflow and, consequently, shortness of breath. This may worsen gradually over a period of time.

How is it caused?

- Smoking

- Occupational exposures, such as working in mines, textile industries.

- Air Pollution

- Genetics

- Other risk factors

The major partner to bring in COPD is a chronic smoking. It is not necessary that the smokers will develop COPD, smokers have a risk, however, the chain of about 25% after 25 years.

Turning to occupational exposures, exactly what we mean by occupational exposures? Is it our work environment? Yes It is so true. People working in the mines coal and gold, the textile industries are exposed to chemicals such as isocyanates, welding fumes and cadmium. The airflow obstruction in the body of the worker, not save non-smokers too.

Air pollution: if you who read this article live in a big city, beware, you are more vulnerable than the person from a small town. Because urban air pollution could be a causal factor of COPD as it is known to slow the growth of normal lungs. In developing countries, cooking smoke from biomass fuel is a very common reason why most people tend to be affected by COPD, especially women.

Genetics: Sometimes it is the role of your grandfather's father for patients with COPD, even though he had nothing to do with it.

Of course there are other risk factors as well. inhaled irritants, bronchial hyper-reactivity, is a recognizable form of asthma.

Treatment: We may rather call management. How will you manage your symptoms will help you live a better life, if you are diagnosed with COPD, as there is no full remedy that claims to cure patients with COPD.

reducing risk factors

Termination 1-smokers: Quitting smoking will reduce the odds of COPD in order to graduate.

Health-2: Inspection of work areas and improving the locality of the work area will allow workers to live a better life.

3-air pollution: it is always said, if you're sick, you're supposed to stay inside. No, it's a myth. The longer you are inside, the more you are surrounded by your own viruses. So we need to go out and get some air.

Management of stable COPD:

1-Bronchodilators: These are drugs that relax smooth muscles around the airways, and contribute to increase the caliber of the airway and improve airflow.

2-Steroids: They act to reduce inflammation in the airways.

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

4-supplemental oxygen: It can be administered to patients who have low levels of oxygen in their body.

5-Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Some kind of exercise, disease management and to coordinate advice to be beneficial to the patient.

6-Nutrition: patients with less BMI (Body Mass Index) / underweight can improve their respiratory muscle strength by increasing caloric intake.

protection against cold weather 7: COPD is caused by breathing cold air. So, knowing manage your symptoms and protect against breathing cold air in winter will help.

8-surgery: Bullectomy is the surgical removal of a large space filled with air that can crush the neighborhood.