The Warning Signs Of COPD And What To Do About It

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) work harder to breathe, which can lead to shortness of breath and feeling constantly tired.

COPD affects around 15 million Americans and is the leading cause of disability and death in America as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide. The WHO has included COPD in its Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). The United Nations has also included COPD in its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

COPD is a preventable and treatable chronic lung disease. We discuss the condition, how different it is from asthma, and the tips to prevent and treat it early.

What Is COPD?

COPD is an umbrella term used to describe a group of progressive lung diseases characterized by breathing-related problems. There are two main types of COPD diseases.

Emphysema

In normal conditions, the bronchial tubes (airways) and alveoli (air sacs) in your lung are elastic. When you inhale, the airways bring the air into the air sacs which bloat like balloons and allow for the exchange of oxygen into the bloodstream. When you exhale, the air sacs deflate to allow carbon dioxide to be moved out of the bloodstream. But with COPD, because of the damage to the lung, less air comes in and out of your airways.

In emphysema, air sacs in your lungs are damaged. The damage in emphysema can lead to the rupturing of the air sac, leading to a diminished gas exchange function of the lungs. This reduces oxygen-rich air from reaching the bloodstream and causes old air to be trapped in the air sac. Emphysema makes it hard for you to fully inhale and exhale.

Chronic bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis causes the thickening, inflammation, and swelling of the bronchial tubes. This causes excess mucus to accumulate in the tubules, eliciting chronic coughing that can last for at least three months in a year, for two years in a row. In chronic bronchitis, the bronchial tubes may lose their cilia, which are tiny hairs that move the phlegm or mucus out of the lungs, either by coughing or swallowing, where it is then destroyed by the acids in your stomach. Because of the inability of the bronchial tubes to clear out the mucus, the bronchial tube’s opening narrows, making it hard to inhale and exhale air from your lungs.

Most people suffering from COPD have both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. But the severity of each type can differ from person to person.

Stages Of COPD

COPD can progress, making it worse gradually and harder to breathe. As per the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines, COPD progression takes place in stages.

Mild COPD (Stage 1 or Early Stage)

The first sign of COPD is feeling out of breath with light physical activity, such as climbing up the stairs. Most people attribute this to aging, or weight gain, oblivious to the fact that they might be having COPD. Another telltale sign is having a cough with phlegm that gets bothersome in the morning.

Moderate to Severe COPD (Stages 2 and 3)

In this stage, shortness of breath becomes more pervasive and evident, even in your everyday activities. As do other symptoms of COPD, such as increased discolored phlegm. The person can become more prone to lung infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

Very Severe COPD (stage 4)

In the final stage, the person finds it hard to be mobile, as any movement triggers shortness of breath. They may require supplemental oxygen from a portable tank to survive.

How fast COPD progresses from the mild to the very severe stage varies for each individual.

The common signs and symptoms of COPD are:

• Shortness of breath
• Persistent cough with mucus
• Difficulty taking a deep breath
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness
• Frequent colds
• Frequent infections
• Tiredness and fatigue

During COPD flare-ups, the symptoms worsen and patients may need additional treatment at home or at emergency care. Some flare-ups can be life-threatening. People with COPD can have other chronic conditions like osteoporosis, heart disease, and lung cancer.

Causes Of COPD

The causes of COPD are long-term exposure to certain irritants and individual factors that damage your airways, air sacs, and lungs. COPD results from a combination of the below risk factors.

• Smoking is the primary cause of COPD. Nearly 75% of people who have COPD are smokers or past smokers. Exposure to tobacco smoke, like pipe and cigar or passive smoking, also contributes to the onset of COPD.
• Occupational exposure to dust, harmful fumes, and chemicals.
• Indoor air pollution contributes to COPD. Coal and biomass fuels such as wood, animal dung, and crop residue used for cooking and heating in some homes can cause high levels of smoke exposure.
• Early conditions like poor growth in utero, premature birth, severe or frequent respiratory infections, and asthma in childhood that hamper maximum lung growth can cause COPD.
• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a rare genetic condition that affects the liver and lungs, can cause COPD.
• Other contributing risk factors include age, gender, and family history. COPD is usually diagnosed after the age of 40 in most people and is more prominent in people over 60 years. More women smokers than men smokers are prone to COPD. Those who have a family history of COPD are also at high risk.

If you notice your symptoms are becoming worse, such as increased shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing, it may mean that you’re experiencing a COPD exacerbation. It’s time to call your doctor right away for a consultation.

How To Prevent And Manage COPD

COPD has no cure yet. While treatment and management measures can improve COPD symptoms, the lungs are still damaged and will never be normal again. COPD is a lifelong condition that needs the constant supervision of a medical doctor. But you can certainly enjoy a healthy and fulfilled life by managing COPD effectively.

There are treatment and management procedures that can prevent and treat the complications of COPD.

Here are some ways to manage your COPD condition.

1. Quit Smoking

The best way you can prevent or slow COPD regardless of its severity is to quit smoking immediately.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), smoking is to blame for eight out of 10 COPD deaths.

It’s true that smoking is addictive and quitting is easier said than done. But it’s not impossible. You can start with nicotine dosing, use a patch, or join a smoking cessation program. It’s okay to relapse but don’t quit. Be persistent until you’re completely free from smoking.

You can consult your doctor about smoking cessation programs or techniques to help you quit the habit.

2. Improve The Airflow In Your Home

Make sure that your home is a haven for you to breathe well. If you are finding it particularly hard to breathe when you are at home, you need to check the quality of the indoor air. There could be many elements that are triggering your COPD symptoms, such as dust, smoke, or pet dander.

Check if your HVAC (Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning) system works properly and if you’re replacing the HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter regularly. A HEPA filter can remove 99% of the airborne particles in your home that could aggravate your lungs.

When the weather’s good and has a low pollen count, you can open the windows for natural ventilation.

3. Follow A Healthy Lifestyle

Breathing well is a crucial part of COPD management. The goal is to have your lungs exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen as efficiently as possible.

Practicing breathing exercises like pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing can help improve lung function. Pursed-lip breathing can help keep your airways open longer, improve ventilation and release the air trapped in your lungs. You can practice this daily and also while doing any strenuous activity, like climbing the stairs.

Try diaphragmatic breathing in anxious moments which hastens your breathing and can lead to panic. Diaphragmatic breathing can help you regain control. Practicing this breathing technique 3–4 times a day can strengthen your diaphragm, allowing you to take less energy and effort to breathe well.

Avoid overeating as a bloated stomach from too much food pushes your stomach up against the diaphragm, leaving less room for oxygen to fill your lungs. Overeating makes breathing even harder when you have a COPD condition. Instead, have smaller meals and space them well throughout the day. Avoid gassy foods like onions, cabbage, broccoli, garlic, wheat, and potatoes that can contribute to stomach bloating.

Consult your doctor for the best eating and physical exercise plan to improve your breathing and overall wellness

4. Avoid Germ Exposure And Infection

Respiratory infection is one of the major causes of COPD flare ups. Respiratory infections are even more serious when you have COPD.

You can protect yourself by taking safety precautions such as observing hand hygiene and avoiding people who are sick and infectious. Check with your doctor about the pneumonia vaccine and annual flu vaccine for your COPD condition.

5. Consult Your Doctor For The Right Medical Treatment For You

Your primary care doctor in Campbell can diagnose if you have COPD based on your signs and symptoms, family history, and various tests. The tests can include:

• Spirometry: This test checks how well your lungs function. You’ll be asked to blow air into a tube that’s attached to a machine. This lung function test measures how much air you can breathe out and how fast you can do it.
• Chest X-ray or CT scan: These imaging tests look for lung changes caused by COPD.
• Pulse oximetry: This test measures the oxygen in your blood.
• Arterial blood gas (ABG): This test checks the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): This test checks your heart function to rule out the possibility of heart disease as the cause of your shortness of breath.
• Exercise and sleep test: Your provider will perform this test to check if the oxygen level in your blood drops when you exercise.

Based on the diagnosis, your doctor may prescribe a specific or a combination of treatment methods.

Medications

Your doctor may prescribe medications to:

• Prevent symptom flare-ups (exacerbations) which can deteriorate your lung function
• Widen your airways (fast-acting bronchodilators such as inhalers)
• Reduce the inflammation in the airways (anti-inflammatory medicines like steroid inhalers or pills)
• Relax the muscles that tighten around your airways and help clear the mucus from your lungs (anticholinergics which act slowly and differently from bronchodilators)
• Block leukotrienes, the chemicals occurring naturally in the body that cause the tightening of airway muscles and the production of mucus (leukotriene modifiers)
• Relieve stuffy heads, watery eyes, and sneezing (antihistamines)
• Thin the mucus (expectorants)
• Antibiotics to treat lung and bacterial infections

There are various kinds of inhalers that work differently, and your doctor might prescribe a combination of them. There is a correct technique that you need to follow to use the inhaler effectively. Sometimes, the doctor may ask you to use a spacer device for your inhaler.

Discuss with your doctor about the potential side effects of the prescribed COPD medications.

Oxygen Therapy

COPD can cause a condition called hypoxemia or low levels of oxygen in your blood.

Be cautious about not confusing breathlessness with low oxygen levels. You can have shortness of breath associated with COPD and still have good oxygen levels in your blood.

If your doctor diagnoses hypoxemia caused by COPD, you can be asked to go in for oxygen therapy or be given supplemental oxygen. Getting extra oxygen can make you breathe better, your lung function better, and can even save your life. Depending on the case, a person may need extra oxygen all the time or only at certain times.

Even for mild-to-moderate COPD cases, a round or few of supplemental oxygen can benefit tremendously. Your doctor may prescribe some devices, such as an oxygen cannula and face mask attached to a portable oxygen tank.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are a holistic approach that helps improve the overall well-being of people with COPD. It can also help shorten hospital visits and stays in the long run.

It may include:

• Exercise program
• Nutritional counseling
• Psychological counseling
• Disease management training
• Community support groups

Surgery

Surgery is the last resort for people with severe COPD. If your COPD is because of emphysema, your doctor might recommend the bullectomy procedure that removes the damaged lung tissue or large air spaces that can form when the air sacs are destroyed. Your doctor might also suggest other surgical procedures, such as lung volume reduction surgery that removes up to 30% of the damaged lung tissue to make room for the healthier lung issue to perform better.

Early Diagnosis And Treatment Can Help Relieve Your COPD Symptoms

While there is no cure for COPD yet, early diagnosis and treatment can help slow the progression of your symptoms and reduce the frequency of flare-ups.

At Los Gatos Doc, we work hard to treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and raise awareness about the condition. We offer a range of treatment options for all respiratory conditions, including asthma, COPD, food allergy, eczema, hay fever, anaphylaxis, sinusitis, and more.

If you suffer from mild to severe COPD symptoms, Call 408–502–6040 or Book an Appointment at Los Gatos Doc.