Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (copd)

Definition:

COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease of the lungs that over time makes it harder to breath. The term COPD includes two main conditions - chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema. In both forms of COPD there is a blockage of airflow into or out of the lungs; this reduces your capacity to exhale properly. Air is trapped in your lungs; which leads to a reduction in the number of capillaries in the alveoli and an impairment of the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood stream. Eventually carbon dioxide becomes elevated and the oxygen level in the body is drastically reduces. It is estimated that 750,000 Canadians haven COPD and there are approximately 8,500 that die from the disease every year.

Signs and symptoms:

At first you may not know that you have COPD; the symptoms may not appear until there has already been damage to the lungs. One of the first and most common symptoms of COPD is shortness of breath. Other symptom are a constant cough, mucus production, wheezing, chest tightness, and being tired.

Diagnosis:

If you have any of these symptoms the doctor may recommend these tests to help diagnose

- Pulmonary function test: during this test you will have to blow into a machine called a spirometer. This machine can measure how much air your lungs can hold and how fast you can blow the air out.

- Sputum examination: They look at the cells in your mucus.

- Chest X-ray: can show you if you have emphysema.

- Arterial blood gas analysis: this test measures how well your lungs are bringing oxygen into the blood and removing carbon dioxide.

Treatment & Care:

There is no cure for COPD; and you cannot fix the damage to your lungs. However there are treatments that can help control the symptoms and reduce complications.

- Smoking cessation: if you smoke you must stop smoking.

- Bronchodilators: is a medication that relaxes the muscles around the airways.

- Inhaled Steroids: is an inhaled corticosteroid medication that can reduce the inflammation of the airway.

- Surgery: Lung Volume reduction surgery: A doctor removes damaged lung tissue; this makes for extra space in your chest cavity allowing the lungs to work more proficiently.

Lung Transplant: single lung transplant.

Prevention / Risk Factors:

- Smoking: the biggest risk factor is smoking. So don't smoke or stop right away. This is the best way