Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is an incurable but preventable lung condition. It collectively covers conditions such as emphysema (damage to the air sacs in the lungs) and also chronic bronchitis (inflammation of the airways).
According to the NHS, “Around 1 in 100 people with COPD has a genetic tendency to develop COPD called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. Alpha-1-antitrypsin is a substance that protects your lungs. Without it, the lungs are more vulnerable to damage. People who have an alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency usually develop COPD at a younger age, often under 35 – particularly if they smoke.”
Some people can be genetically pre-disposed to COPD due to a weakness in the lungs. However, it mainly affects smokers as they reach middle age. On rare occasions those who are exposed to others’ cigarette smoke (passive smokers) may also develop COPD.
The condition can also affect those people who have long term exposure to dust and fumes such as coal dust, cadmium dust and fumes, grain and flour dust, silica dust, welding fumes and isocyanates.
Often people can have the condition without realising. It is only when difficulty in breathing becomes worse to the point that it impacts on normal activities that sufferers tend to seek help.
Those suffering with COPD will tend to experience a chesty, phlegm producing cough. They may pass this off as “smoker’s cough.” This cough may also be accompanied by wheezing, persistent chest infections, and breathlessness when active. These symptoms can flare particularly during the winter months but can also be aggravated at other times during the year.
Some other symptoms can include weight loss, tiredness and swollen ankles. The sufferer may also experience some chest pain and coughing up blood—this should never be dismissed as it can also be a sign of lung cancer.
If undiagnosed and untreated, the symptoms will get progressively worse.
Many of the symptoms of COPD mimic those of other conditions such as asthma, heart failure, and anaemia so it is important to get an early diagnosis. COPD is easily diagnosed with a breathing test called spirometry but there are also other tests which will likely be carried out to determine the diagnosis. These can include chest x-ray, blood tests, ECG, and CT scan.
COPD Treatments: Inhalers
Whilst there is no cure for COPD, the earlier it is diagnosed the better the outcome is for treating and managing the condition. The priority is to minimise damage to the lungs which can be severe if left untreated.
There are many options for treating the condition, but quitting smoking is essential in order to reduce the risk of further damage. If the COPD has progressed to the point of affecting the breathing, then inhalers are likely to be prescribed.
Short term inhalers known as beta-2 agonist inhalers or antimuscarinic inhalers can be offered and these are basically used as/when breathing difficulties are experienced. They can be used up to a maximum of 4 times a day and work by opening up the airways to make breathing easier.
If the symptoms are pretty constant throughout the day, then the alternative of a long-term inhaler will most likely be prescribed. These will only be needed to be administered once or twice a day as each dose lasts for approximately 12 hours.
Steroid inhalers (corticosteroid medication) may be used when the other inhalers prove ineffective. They can be prescribed as a combination of the first two with the added steroid medication which basically helps with the inflammation of the airways.
COPD Treatments: Beyond Inhalers
In addition to the inhaler treatment, conventional medication can also be prescribed for addressing the inflamed airways, the mucous cough, or any infection present in the chest. In the event that the condition does not respond to the inhaler protocol or the COPD escalates to become more serious or debilitating, the following treatments are options:
- Nebulisers, which can be used at home. They are a unit which allows large doses of medication to be administered in a spray form which is delivered by a face mask.
- Oxygen therapy. A patient who suffers with severe COPD may need oxygen therapy. This ensures that the oxygen levels in their blood are maintained. Again, this is delivered through a machine via a face mask or nasal tube and can be administered at home for up to 16 hours a day.
- Ambulatory oxygen. There are patients who will only get breathless during exercise or exertion, so they may be prescribed ambulatory oxygen which is used in the short term when their oxygen levels may become compromised by exercise.
In exceptional circumstances, patients may have surgery if their COPD does not respond to medication. Surgical procedures carried out under general anaesthetic can be one of the three options listed below:
- Bullectomy: the removal of a pocket of an air trapped in the lung. This helps make breathing easier.
- Lung Volume Reduction: a surgery which removes severely damaged parts of the lung which then allows the healthier parts to better function.
- Lung transplant: the damaged lung is completely removed and replaced with a donor organ.
Pulmonary rehabilitation may also be suggested. Pulmonary rehabilitation includes education on the condition and regular exercise sessions which are carefully monitored. Sufferers are normally under the care of a number of specialists such as physiotherapists, nurses, and occupational therapists. Each course normally lasts about 6 weeks in which time patients receive advice on such subjects as coping techniques, dietary advice, educating your family, and generally assisting the patient to deal both physically and mentally with their COPD.
Whilst there is no cure, the treatment options including the pulmonary rehabilitation help sufferers to capitalise on their existing lung function in order to help them live a more productive life.
The British Lung Foundation has provided a useful booklet which explains more about COPD, living with the condition, and treatment protocols.
About the Author
Hi, I am Tracey, and I have been battling Fibromyalgia since 1989. I am a qualified Health & Wellness coach, freelance writer and wellness blogger. Using my experience and knowledge, I reach out to support & empower fellow sufferers through my blog at www.fibrofantastic.com. I share my life here in England with my husband, son and Lhasa Apso. At age 50 I decided to make some big life changes as I felt that at some point I could kick Fibromyalgia into touch (I am still trying). Through diet, exercise, meditation and massage I have felt better than I have in years. I am in a good place now and want to share my wellness journey to help other sufferers with this most frustrating of conditions.