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COPD facts
COPD can be a confusing condition because it usually involves
two diseases: chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema associated with airflow obstruction.
Below is a list of facts that can help you better understand this disease and
how it is treated.
- Chronic bronchitis occurs when the lining of your lung stays irritated and
inflamed for a long period of time. The irritated lungs give you a nagging
cough. If the bronchitis persists long enough, it leads to injury and scarring
in your lungs. The presence of phlegm (mucus) and scar tissue in the lung
hinders your ability to exchange air, making you feel short of breath.
- Emphysema causes irreversible lung damage. Emphysema affects the tiny sacs
in the lungs called alveoli. These sacs allow the transfer of oxygen from
the air to the blood and also allow CO2 to be removed
from the body. The alveoli expand and contract as air moves in and out of
them. In emphysema, the lungs lose elasticity, similar to an overused rubber band. This causes the alveoli to become enlarged, thus making breathing difficult.
Advanced emphysema is characterized by large empty spaces inside
the lung. Although alveoli can transfer oxygen into the bloodstream, empty
spaces can't—that's why people with emphysema feel short of breath.
- Symptoms of COPD typically include shortness of breath, a chronic cough,
or heavy sputum (phlegm).
- It is estimated that 30 million Americans suffer from COPD, but only 16 million are diagnosed.
- About 2 million Americans are diagnosed with emphysema.
- Another 14 million people in the US (5% of the population) are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis.
- Both chronic bronchitis and emphysema are strongly linked to smoking. When
people with COPD smoke, they further damage their lungs, which makes
it even harder to get oxygen.
- There is currently no cure for COPD. However, the disease is almost always
preventable by abstaining from smoking. In almost all cases of COPD, symptoms
can be reduced through treatment. Usually, treatment strategies have two goals.
The first goal is to relieve symptoms, and the second is to slow down the
progress of the disease.
- Quitting smoking reduces the symptoms of COPD once the disease develops, and slows down the progress of the disease.
- The quality of life for a person suffering from COPD diminishes as the
disease progresses. In the early stages, there may be minimal shortness of breath. People
with COPD may eventually require supplemental oxygen and may have to rely
on mechanical respiratory assistance.
- Depending on the severity of the disease, treatments may include bronchodilators,
which open up lung passages to increase airflow. They include maintenance medications (which are taken regularly) and reliever medications such as albuterol (which are taken to relieve symptoms
or during acute attacks).
- The keys to good health, as well as managing COPD,
include getting proper nutrition, getting exercise (with healthcare professional approval) and adequate sleep,
and being in a healthy, smoke-free environment.
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