COPD - What is it?
COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Chronic means that it lasts for a long time as distinct from an acute attack of bronchitis.
In fact this disease, which was formally known as chronic bronchitis, is sometimes also called COPD with emphysema. In COPD, the main affect is on the tubes that carry the air to the alveoli, the little bubbles in which carbon dioxide leaves the blood and oxygen enters the blood. Sometimes emphysema occurs without COPD but mainly they occur together and are usually just called COPD.
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Why is COPD important?
COPD is important because it causes breathlessness. However there are other causes of breathlessness of which the most common one is heart disease. Often heart disease and COPD occur together either both of them having started independently or what can happen is that the inflammation in the lungs causes back pressure on the heart and COPD therefore can aggravate heart failure.
Why is it important to understand the condition?
It is important to understand that this in not normal ageing. COPD is caused by a number of factors of which the commonest are cigarette smoking and air pollution and although there is a lot of talk about air pollution, quite rightly, in the press nowadays for many people seventy plus the air pollution of their childhood, before the Clean Air Act of 1956, and the inhalation of smoke from their parents Capstan or Senior Service or Players laid the seeds for the longer term health problem.
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COPD is also important because it puts people at risk because an acute infection, the flu for example, on top of COPD can be fatal and for this reason it is vitally important for people with COPD to take steps to stop it getting worse and to be immunised
What is its principal effect?
The principal effect is to reduce the person’s ability to do things that require increased oxygen, for example to walk briskly or to walk upstairs. COPD is therefore one of the common causes of becoming isolated and house bound. Usually people with COPD can get about their dwelling and carry out the tasks that are needed inside the home but anything outside the home is a challenge. When it gets advanced it can cause a distressing feeling of breathlessness which is very unpleasant.
Can progression be slowed, reduced or reversed?
The answer is definitely yes. Lungs do age but lung ageing by itself is not a major problem and people who are affected only by the normal ageing process are able to walk briskly in their late nineties.
What also happens, as always, is that the disability leads to loss of further fitness. Loss of fitness is not only a direct effect of COPD in the lungs, but the muscles become even less efficient at extracting the oxygen that passes through the tissues if they are used less.
This means that there are a number of things that people with COPD can do to slow and reverse the breathlessness.
What can be done?
Firstly stop smoking, no matter how many times the person has tried before.
Secondly increase activity and the NHS may refer the affected person to what is called pulmonary rehabilitation usually run by specialist, and very knowledgable, physiotherapists but any form of activity that causes breathlessness or the sense of breathing increasing is helpful; brisk walking, going upstairs or dancing. Here is a link to an excellent description from st georges hospital. Look also at theweb site of the British Lung Foundationwhich has excellent and clear information
Thirdly it is vitally important to avoid acute infections and therefore to have flu immunisation
Fourthly, and particularly for people living in cities, buy an air purifier to remove particulatess and pollution. It is a sensible investment.
COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Chronic means that it lasts for a long time as distinct from an acute attack of bronchitis.
- Obstructive means that the bronchi, the tubes that carry the air from the nose and mouth to the lungs are narrowed by long term infection and inflammation; pulmonary being a fancy word for lungs
- Disease means it is not normal ageing but distinct from disease
In fact this disease, which was formally known as chronic bronchitis, is sometimes also called COPD with emphysema. In COPD, the main affect is on the tubes that carry the air to the alveoli, the little bubbles in which carbon dioxide leaves the blood and oxygen enters the blood. Sometimes emphysema occurs without COPD but mainly they occur together and are usually just called COPD.
Picture
Why is COPD important?
COPD is important because it causes breathlessness. However there are other causes of breathlessness of which the most common one is heart disease. Often heart disease and COPD occur together either both of them having started independently or what can happen is that the inflammation in the lungs causes back pressure on the heart and COPD therefore can aggravate heart failure.
Why is it important to understand the condition?
It is important to understand that this in not normal ageing. COPD is caused by a number of factors of which the commonest are cigarette smoking and air pollution and although there is a lot of talk about air pollution, quite rightly, in the press nowadays for many people seventy plus the air pollution of their childhood, before the Clean Air Act of 1956, and the inhalation of smoke from their parents Capstan or Senior Service or Players laid the seeds for the longer term health problem.
Pictures
COPD is also important because it puts people at risk because an acute infection, the flu for example, on top of COPD can be fatal and for this reason it is vitally important for people with COPD to take steps to stop it getting worse and to be immunised
What is its principal effect?
The principal effect is to reduce the person’s ability to do things that require increased oxygen, for example to walk briskly or to walk upstairs. COPD is therefore one of the common causes of becoming isolated and house bound. Usually people with COPD can get about their dwelling and carry out the tasks that are needed inside the home but anything outside the home is a challenge. When it gets advanced it can cause a distressing feeling of breathlessness which is very unpleasant.
Can progression be slowed, reduced or reversed?
The answer is definitely yes. Lungs do age but lung ageing by itself is not a major problem and people who are affected only by the normal ageing process are able to walk briskly in their late nineties.
What also happens, as always, is that the disability leads to loss of further fitness. Loss of fitness is not only a direct effect of COPD in the lungs, but the muscles become even less efficient at extracting the oxygen that passes through the tissues if they are used less.
This means that there are a number of things that people with COPD can do to slow and reverse the breathlessness.
What can be done?
Firstly stop smoking, no matter how many times the person has tried before.
Secondly increase activity and the NHS may refer the affected person to what is called pulmonary rehabilitation usually run by specialist, and very knowledgable, physiotherapists but any form of activity that causes breathlessness or the sense of breathing increasing is helpful; brisk walking, going upstairs or dancing. Here is a link to an excellent description from st georges hospital. Look also at theweb site of the British Lung Foundationwhich has excellent and clear information
Thirdly it is vitally important to avoid acute infections and therefore to have flu immunisation
Fourthly, and particularly for people living in cities, buy an air purifier to remove particulatess and pollution. It is a sensible investment.