Jul 25, 2017

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Everything You Need to Know

What is COPD and who does it affect?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung disease that blocks airflow from the lungs. It’s a term that encompasses chronic and progressive respiratory diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. People with COPD usually have both of these conditions which are caused by lung damage due to many years of cigarette smoking or exposure to airborne irritants such as dust, chemical fumes or even air pollution.

Because the disease develops gradually, most people are over the age of 60 by the time COPD begins causing symptoms. In Australia, COPD affects 14% (one out of seven) of the population over the age of 40 and 29% of those over the age of 75.  

According to statistics reported by the Lung Foundation Australia, COPD is the number two cause of avoidable hospital admissions. And, in 2013, COPD was the number five cause of death in Australia. Fortunately this number is decreasing rather than rising, but it is still important that people who are living with COPD take steps toward proper management.

Symptoms of COPD

Because the disease develops gradually, the first symptoms are mild and often dismissed as cold or flu. In the early stages the symptoms are:

  • shortness of breath on occasion, particularly after exercise or exertion
  • a mild cough that comes and goes
  • having to clear your throat, especially in the morning

As the disease progresses the symptoms may include:

  • shortness of breath that is more frequent, caused by mild exertion or exercise
  • wheezing
  • noisy breathing
  • tightness in the chest
  • a chronic cough accompanied by phlegm or not
  • decline in energy levels
  • fatigue
  • weight loss
  • the need to clear phlegm from the lungs on a daily basis
  • frequent illness such as cold or flu
  • frequent respiratory illnesses
  • swelling in the lower extremities

Be sure to seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:

  • your fingernails or lips have a blue or gray hue caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood
  • catching your breath is difficult
  • you cannot speak
  • you feel confused
  • you feel faint
  • you have a racing heart

Living with COPD

For 1.45 million Australians living with some form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, simple daily activities like getting dressed or making a cup of tea can potentially become impossible tasks without proper treatment.

While there is no cure for COPD, it is treatable. The focus of healthcare is to treat the symptoms, reduce risk of exacerbation (a sudden flare up), improve quality of life, increase capacity for healthy exercise and avoid hospitalisation.  For improved quality of life, healthcare providers suggest these tips for people living with COPD:

  • Quit smoking to slow the rate of progression and ease the symptoms of COPD.
  • Take part in pulmonary rehabilitation together with medical therapy. P.R. includes exercise training, nutritional counseling, education about the disease, instruction on how to conserve energy, breathing strategies and psychological support. Effective pulmonary rehabilitation helps reduce breathlessness, fatigue, anxiety and depression which often accompany COPD. It also helps people living with COPD become more active, have a better outlook and raise their quality of life levels.
  • Use inhaled medicines to ease symptoms and increase quality of life.
  • Make sure to get vaccinated against influenza or pneumonia.
  • Avoid isolation by taking part in support groups or spending time with friends and family.
  • Use oxygen therapy to relieve symptoms of advanced COPD.

The Stages of COPD

The five stages of COPD are:

Stage 0: A person is considered at risk for COPD if they present symptoms such as coughing accompanied by mucus production. It doesn’t mean that they have COPD but it is advisable that they quit smoking and increase overall health by eating a healthy diet and increasing physical activity.

Stage One: At this stage symptoms are still mild and many times unrecognized. Symptoms include a more persistent cough accompanied by an increase in mucus production. At this stage, your physician may advise use of a bronchodilator.

Stage Two: Symptoms are more moderate and noticeable in stage two. Shortness of breath usually accompanies coughing and mucus production. At this point, a long-acting bronchodilator may be necessary.

Stage Three: At this stage with frequent and severe symptom flare ups, normal daily functions become more difficult. Physicians may recommend using oxygen therapy, corticosteroids and other medication.

Stage Four: Symptoms continue progression and become very severe and can include life threatening flare ups. At this stage surgical treatment may be necessary.

Even though deaths caused by COPD are declining in Australia every year, it is still a leading cause of mortality following heart disease, stroke and cancer. Knowledge about the disease and early diagnosis together with disease management programs will work in combination to increase the quality of life for people living with COPD, slow the rate of progression and reduce the number of deaths even further.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. I was looking for copd treatments for my husband who was 72yrs old,my husband has COPD and cancer, his condition was very critical which i was very afraid that will not survive it.
    His white blood count was very low right now and his doctors are planning on starting some chemo or other treatment soon.. I don’t believe he will last long if he does this.. His copd is getting worse even though he hasn’t smoked in 30 years.
    so i decided to come online to see if there will be better alternative,during my research i saw a lady post about doctor Abumere who has power over deadly diaereses,so i decided to contact him because i really do not care about what my husband was talking in all i want for him is for him to get well for me because he was all i have,my husband took the remedies as he told us and few weeks later my husband stop to notice that symptoms of his disease are begging to leave him so he went back to his Dr and he was told he no longer has those diseases.
    My husband is totally free of COPD and cancer if not for doctor abumere who help us rid this problem there is a possibility that my husband wouldn’t be alive today.
    their contact info ( abumereherbalcentre @ gmail. com) OR (http : // abumereherbalcentre . com)

  2. I was diagnosed of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in 2012 at the age of 63. I had been a heavy smoker, my symptoms started out with dry cough and shortness of breath, i ended up in the hospital, on a ventilator. I should have known it was coming, but like most smokers, thought it would never happen to me. My COPD got significantly worse and unbearable because of my difficulty catching breath. Last year, i started on a natural COPD Herbal therapy from NewLife Herbal Clinic, i read a lot of positive reviews from patients who used the treatment and i immediately started on it. I had great relief with this herbal treatment. I breath very much better now, no case of shortness of breath or chest tightness since treatment. Visit NewLife Herbal Clinic website ww w. newlifeherbalclinic. com. This COPD treatment is a miracle!!

  3. I have had ASTHMA my whole life but about 7 years ago my asthma got so bad and was diagnosed of EMPHYSEMA/COPD which was most likely due to the asthma. I was on double antibiotics and steroids, still didn’t feel any better. My lungs were constantly wheezing in all four chambers, i already used Advair, Spiriva, and Albuterol in my nebulizer, they just didn’t do much. It was hell for me due to the severe difficulty breathing. April 2016 my sister in-law told us about Rich Herbs Foundation where she ordered herbs that effectively treated her arthritis. We ordered their COPD HERBAL TREATMENT after reading alot of positive reviews from other patients, i am happy to report the COPD HERBAL TREATMENT worked very effective for my lungs condition. My quality of life has greatly improved and every one of my symptoms including difficulty breathing, respiratory infections, chronic cough and wheezing has simply stopped. Visit ww w. richherbsfoundation. c om. I will be 52 soon and have never been healthier

  4. Good day ladies and gentlemen, My name is Kathy Venery, Early this year i was told I had mild emphysema. I was shocked, I had only had minor breathing problems at times. However I had smoked for 17 years when I was very young and had quit over 38 years ago, when I developed asthma. I always heard your lungs were cleared 5 years after you quit smoking, but they don’t tell you the damage is already done! Mild is not mild, I am on oxygen all the time.my son purchased herbal remedy for emphysema from solution health herbal clinic ,which i used for 6 weeks and am totally Emphysema free ,all thanks to solution health herbal clinic, solution health herbal clinic also cure all type of disease in humans life..please Stop smoking! It will kill you. Contact solution health herbal clinic details E-mail: (solutionsherbalclinic@gmail.com)

  5. 2016 I was told I had mild emphysema, and COPD. I was shocked, I had only had minor breathing problems at times. However I had smoked for 17 years when I was very young and had quit over 38 years ago, when I developed asthma. I always heard your lungs were cleared 5 years after you quit smoking,If not for total cure herbal treatment i would”ve still be at oxygen all time,the herbal remedies has terminate the the symptoms and im fully cured of this disease in only 15 weeks of usage,the ,breathing difficulty has fully relief me and i started sleeping like a baby again after the first three weeks of usage,do not hesitate to contact them on this address and place your order because the herbal foundation has the right formula for this lung diseases http://www.totalcureherbsfoundation. com

  6. I was diagnosed with COPD stage 2, five years ago now. I moved to Wales 3 years ago in the hope my health would improve. I am now 66. I also had a triple heart bypass 10 years ago, which doesn’t help! I often get headaches and migraines and can’t walk upstairs without getting out of breath. Even small exertions sometimes make my breathing bad. I was also going through  cough and start getting really bad aches in my back and chests was directed by a local doctor in Cardiff to use totalcureherbsfoundation.com supplement on my condition which cure me perfectly, i went to pulmonologist and I was told that am free from Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.xx

  7. My husband is 54 and has had Parkinson’s for around 3-4 years. It is a debilitating disease that only gets worse and needs some serious funding to find out 1 because the cure is out there. What causes it and 2. some better treatment for it which multivitamincare org have the guaranteed cure for PD. He takes over 8 weeks treatment from Multivitamin care formula that finally cure him,as there is no-one available to help unless you have per week money to pay for a Nurse, but with this herbal system you can get rid of your Parkinson effectively ,he had tremors for several years and was gradually becoming worse before we found PD supplement from Multivitamincare that was able to get rid of my husband disease and alleviate all symptoms within the short period of his usage.,they have the best medication for PD.

  8. “I was walking and my husband was telling me to slow down because he couldn’t keep up with me.”
    Denise F. lived with COPD and chronic asthma for many years. When her quality of life continued to decline, Denise decided to try something different.While being with her horses brought her peace and joy, not being able to breathe made spending time with them challenging. When her grandchildren would visit, she couldn’t even participate in their activities.After the herbal recommendation at the ( multivitamincare org ) Denise my best friend no longer needs oxygen or a walker and has seen many improvements. She can walk, clean her house, go shopping, enjoy a vacation, ride her horses, lift hay bales and do anything she wants to do.Now, when her grandchildren visit, they can ride horses together and make wonderful memories. And, Denise wants to lead the way, “I was walking and my husband was telling me to slow down because he couldn’t keep up with me.”If you or someone you love has COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis or another chronic lung disease and would like to see results like Denise’s, contact them on their website to learn more about your lung disease treatment options how to overcome it.

  9. I had emphysema in 2009 when I was 45 years old. I smoked for 11 years, but quit smoking as soon as I was told that I had COPD. Quitting smoking was the hardest thing I have ever done. But I knew I would die if I didn’t. My health was getting so bad that I needed oxygen 24/7 and was down to 92lbs. Thankfully, in 2019 I got a natural herbal prescription from a friend. It saved my life. I no longer needed oxygen and was able to climb stairs, dance, and travel the world. This is their website www multivitamincare org

  10. I was diagnosed with severe COPD and emphysema at 48. I had LVRS (lung volume reduction surgery) a year later, which I am forever grateful for it actually led me to www madibaherbalcenter . com . I have read some of their stories online before using their natural herbal formula , I had very hard time breathing then, and even more so at night, it was so bad I can’t sleep. I get up with a tight chest that feels blocked and can’t breathe well at all,I was excused from normal life responsibilities but natural herbs from madibaherbalcenter . com really helped but sometimes I think is God prodigy that I was able to treat my Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but madibaherbalcenter . com herbal formula has a big impact on my recovery because my lung condition has been fully reversed. They do things for me, and was too happy to comply with their service. This is an equitable way to get off your COPD emphysema.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

The Australian Medical Association Has A Lot To Say On Aged Care

At the beginning of the week the Australian Medical Association (AMA) released a report entitled, Position Statement On Resourcing Aged Care outlining its findings and recommendations for the sector. Through a critical examination of the sector at large the AMA has released a detailed report of the needs of the aged care sector, highlighting the... Read More

Aged Care and Retirement Living: Where Poor Practice is Unthinkable

I want to acknowledge the round of painful stories that continue to emerge from aged care and retirement living contexts. It is always hard to hear about times when we have not done our very best, when we have compromised the humanity of ourselves and others, and when we have not been honorable. I am using ‘we’ for... Read More

Aged Care Funding Changes: What Are They And What Impact Could They Have?

Just a few months ago I blogged about the government planning to ‘tighten up’ the ACFI. However, the announced cuts to funding go far beyond what I and the rest of the industry expected. In fact a survey of over 500 facilities across Australia revealed that the changes will have a much greater impact than... Read More
Advertisement