Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD Overview
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of lung diseases that affect the lung’s airways and air sacs and make it difficult to breathe. The two main types of COPD are chronic bronchitis, defined by a long-term cough with mucus and emphysema, defined by destruction of the lungs over time. Most people with COPD have a combination of both conditions. COPD can’t be cured but Wellstar can help you manage COPD to improve your quality of life.Symptoms
COPD symptoms may develop slowly over time. They include:- Coughing with mucus
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Frequent respiratory infections
- Tightness in the chest
These symptoms may appear years before your lung function is impaired, and having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have COPD. It’s also possible to have COPD and not experience these symptoms.
Sometimes people with COPD can have exacerbations. These are acute episodes of worsening symptoms. Exacerbations can last for several days and often require the use of additional medications prescribed by your doctor to improve.
While the causes of COPD are not completely understood, the major risk factor for COPD is smoking. Other factors include:
- Exposure to certain gases or fumes in the workplace
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Exposure to pollution and dust
- A family history of COPD
- Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), a severe form of acid reflux, can damage the esophagus and can cause or worsen COPD
- A rare genetic condition called alpha-l antitrypsin deficiency can contribute to lung damage that can lead to COPD
COPD Prevention
Lung damage caused by COPD cannot be reversed, but there are steps you can take to prevent it from occurring or worsening. These include:
- Stop smoking if you smoke cigarettes, cigars or a pipe.
- Avoid secondhand smoke, pollution, dust and other airborne contaminants.
- Live a healthy lifestyle.
- Get seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccines.
COPD Diagnosis
The sooner COPD is diagnosed, the sooner your treatment can begin. While COPD can’t be cured, the symptoms can be managed so that you feel better and can participate more fully in everyday activities.
Tools and tests
Wellstar physicians use a wide spectrum of diagnostic tools and tests for assessment of patients who may have COPD, including:
- Chest X-ray and other chest imaging
- Pulmonary function testing
- Arterial blood gas testing
- Pulse oximetry
- Cardiopulmonary stress tests
COPD Treatment
Wellstar’s comprehensive and integrated treatment for COPD has achieved significantly lower mortality rates than the national average. This achievement places Wellstar in the top 10% of hospitals in the United States in COPD and pneumonia care.
Treatment options
COPD treatment options include:
- Smoking cessation, because smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Ask your Wellstar doctor about smoking cessation and resources that are available for you.
- Starting and managing oxygen therapy, when appropriate, to help patients live longer and feel better.
- Preventative screening for lung cancer, when appropriate, through our Lung Cancer Screening Program.
Medications, which include:
- Bronchodilators, which are usually taken using an inhaler. They relax and open the muscles around your airways, making breathing easier.
- Inhaled steroids, which may reduce swelling in the airways for people with moderate to severe COPD.
- Flu and pneumonia vaccines are important for people with COPD, who are at higher risk of developing complications with both diseases.
- Pulmonary rehabilitation does not cure COPD, but it can teach you to breathe in a different way so you can stay active and improve your quality of life. Rehabilitation services include exercise, disease management and nutritional and psychological counseling.
- Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is sometimes necessary to remove damaged tissue from the lungs. Our interventional pulmonary team performs minimally invasive lung volume reduction procedures.
Treatment of sleep disorders can help with symptoms of COPD as well. Our specialists can also help you get treated for any underlying sleep disorders.
Ongoing Care for COPD
People who suffer with COPD can learn to manage their symptoms and regain control of their lives. Wellstar can design a long-term treatment plan to help persons with COPD improve their quality of life.
Smoking Cessation
Quitting smoking is one of the most important and challenging steps in effective COPD management. Wellstar offers Smoking Cessation programs that educate people about smoking risks, encourage behavior modification to help minimize smoking urges and offer numerous coping strategies. Several different methods for changing smoking behavior are explored so that individuals learn approaches that work best for them.
Rehabilitation objectives for COPD include:
- Maximizing independence
- Reducing severity of symptoms
- Increasing exercise tolerance
- Reducing anxiety related to the lung condition
- Ensuring safe and swift recovery from surgical procedures
- Improving an individual’s ability to participate in day-to-day activities
COPD basics
Education goals include teaching patients:
- How to cope with and manage COPD
- How to effectively use medications
- Lifestyle changes and exercises to improve quality of life
- How nutrition and special breathing techniques can help manage COPD symptoms and improve quality of life