COPD: Understanding Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, more commonly known as COPD, is a lung disease that makes it increasingly harder to breathe over time. Because COPD is a progressive disease, identifying it as soon as possible can be immensely helpful.
Despite the fact that COPD is a condition that worsens over time, management options can improve symptoms and reduce exacerbations. Understanding COPD and talking with your Texas Tech Physicians provider about proper management can lead to controlled symptoms and enhance your quality of life.
Treatment can also lower your risk of other conditions linked to COPD, like lung cancer or heart disease. We’re helping you better understand COPD, review the symptoms and see what treatment might entail.
What is COPD?
COPD is a term that is used to describe chronic lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Mostly identified by a patient’s breathlessness, the disease also might come with fatigue and chronic cough (with or without mucus).
Emphysema and bronchitis
A long-term lung condition, emphysema creates damage to the thin walls of the air sacs in the lungs known as alveoli, making it hard to move air out of your lungs. When it’s hard to move air out, there is less room for oxygen-rich air to come in.
Bronchitis, on the other hand, involves inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes that carry air to and from your lungs. This condition often includes coughing up thick mucus. Bronchitis can be acute, but can also start gradually and become a chronic, long-term condition.
Some of the signs of COPD might look simply like signs of aging, but because COPD progresses slowly, it’s important to talk to your doctor as soon as these symptoms arise.
Signs and Symptoms of COPD
Unfortunately, symptoms of COPD can appear after a lot of lung damage has already occurred. Smoking or other irritations can make the condition worsen.
Some of the symptoms include:
- Difficulty catching your breath
- Wheezing or whistling sounds when breathing
- Tightness in the chest
- Feeling unusually tired
- Continued coughing, which might include clear, white, yellow or green mucus
- Swelling of the ankles, feet or legs
- Unintentional weight loss
Causes and Risk Factors
Long-term exposure to lung irritants is the primary cause of COPD, tobacco smoking being the leading factor. However, there are likely other factors at play in developing COPD, because not everyone who smokes gets COPD. These factors might include genetically inherited conditions, air pollution and workplace exposure to dust, smoke or fumes.
Risk factors for COPD include:
- A medical history that includes childhood respiratory infections
- Prolonged exposure to smoke from coal/wood burning stove
- Secondhand smoke exposure
- Asthma
- Underdeveloped lungs
- Adults 40 and older due to lung function declining with age
Smoking long-term does not always lead to COPD, but smoking decreases the overall health of your lungs.
Treatment for COPD
Because COPD has similar symptoms to other lung conditions, COPD can be hard to diagnose. Spirometry is the reference standard for diagnosis—this is a simple test that involves breathing into a device which takes measurements of the lungs. The disease might be advanced by the time you are diagnosed, which is why early testing is so important for your future with COPD.
Regardless, effective treatment can slow the speed of worsening, help control symptoms and lower your risk of complications. Talking to your doctor and getting a diagnosis is the first step to improving your quality of life.
Quitting smoking is an essential part of any COPD treatment plan. Stopping smoking can keep the disease from getting worse. Quitting is hard, but talking to your doctor about programs, products and other options can help you get started.
Medications can be prescribed as treatment options for COPD, and come in many forms. Your medication will depend on your COPD severity. No matter which medication is right for you, your provider will walk you through the right way to use an inhaler or nebulizer.
Oxygen therapy can give you more oxygen when you need it. If you are a candidate for oxygen therapy, there are different types of oxygen delivery devices to meet your needs.
Pulmonary rehabilitation programs combine exercise training, education in disease management and social support. Working with a variety of specialists can positively impact your daily life.
Non-invasive ventilation might be an option for select candidates who have a history of hospitalization. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) involves helping the breathing process through a face mask. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) also helps with COPD and obstructive sleep apnea.
Surgery is an option for some people with some forms of severe emphysema that aren't helped enough by medicines alone. Surgical options include lung volume reduction surgery and bullectomy, which involves removing large air spaces (bullae) from the lungs, improving air flow.
Lifestyle Tips
If you have been diagnosed with COPD, your provider will have many guidelines that will improve your quality of life and slow the progression of the disease. Some basic lifestyle changes include:
- Stop smoking
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Exercise in moderation
- Utilize healthy sleep habits
- Learn breathing techniques
A conversation with your doctor can help you figure out how these healthy habits might work for you. For example, physical activity can improve the body’s use of oxygen and your energy levels, but you want to be sure not to overexert yourself. Managing your COPD will look different for everyone.
It’s important to remember that disease management goes beyond medication. Having COPD can be a life-changing experience, and adapting to everything from using medications to changing your daily habits can feel overwhelming. Seeking out educational materials to understand your disease and develop a plan for your future can be incredibly beneficial. Most importantly, your care team at Texas Tech Physicians is here to help. Request an appointment to talk to your doctor today.
To ensure accurate and reliable information, this post was thoughtfully reviewed and
co-written by Ali Hamza Khair, M.D.