COPD, also known as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a chronic subversive lung disease that occurs obstructed airflow from the lungs. Symptoms possess breathing difficulty, cough, mucus (sputum) production, and wheezing. It’s commonly caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases or particulate cases, most often due to cigarette smoke. People who have COPD are at advanced risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer, and various other conditions.
Emphysema gradually kills air sacs in your lungs, interfering with external airflow. Bronchitis induces inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes, allowing mucus to build up. Untreated, COPD can lead to a faster disease progression, heart problems, and worsening respiratory infections.
Symptoms:
COPD makes it more difficult to breathe. Symptoms may be calm at first, forming with irregular coughing and a shortage of breath. As it advances, symptoms can become more constant and increasingly challenging breathing. You may experience gasping and tightness in the chest or have extra sputum production. Some with COPD have acute worsening flare-ups of severe symptoms.
Premature symptoms:
Foremost, symptoms of COPD can be pretty soft. You might misinterpret them for cold.
Early symptoms have:
- Irregular shortness of breath, especially after the workout
- Gentle but recurrent cough
- Needing to clear your throat often, mainly first thing in the morning
- You might start making slight changes, such as avoiding stairs and skipping physical activities.
Aggravating symptoms:
Signs can get progressively worse and harder to ignore. As the lungs evolve more damaged, you may experience:
- shortness of breath, after even mild workout like walking,
- chest tightness
- chronic cough, with or without mucus
- need of clear mucus from lungs every day
- routine colds, flu, or other respiratory infections
lack of energy
In later stages of COPD, symptoms may also include:
- tiredness
- swelling of the feet, ankles, or legs
- weight loss
Symptoms can worsen if you currently smoke or are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.
What induces COPD?
People with COPD are 40 years old and have a smoking history. The longer and more tobacco products you smoke, COPD risk is more significant.
Cigarette smoke, cigar smoke, pipe smoke, and secondhand smoke can cause COPD. Your risk of COPD is even greater if you have asthma and smoke.
Other causes:
You can also develop COPD if exposed to chemicals and fumes at the workplace. Long-term exposure to air corrosion and inhaling dust can also induce COPD.
Treatment for COPD:
Remedy can ease symptoms, prevent complications, and generally slow disease progression. Your healthcare team may include a lung specialist (pulmonologist) and physical and respiratory therapists.
At Kalyan Hospital Vadodara, we offer a comprehensive approach to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumonia, interstitial lung diseases, tuberculosis, and lung cancer.
With dedicated evaluation & investigation, we try to diagnose and offer the best suitable treatment.
