What is COPD lung disease?
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that causes breathing difficulties due to airflow obstruction. Three conditions mainly, 1. chronic bronchitis and 2. emphysema and chronic asthma all fall into the category of COPD
Key characteristics of COPD include:
-
Chronic Bronchitis /Chronic asthma: Involves inflammation and narrowing of the airways, accompanied by excessive mucus production, leading to coughing and difficulty breathing.
- Emphysema: Affects the alveoli (tiny air sacs in the lungs) by damaging their walls, reducing the surface area for gas exchange and causing shortness of breath.
Causes: The primary cause of COPD is long-term exposure to irritating gases or particulate matter, most often from cigarette smoke. Other risk factors include air pollution, occupational dust, and genetic factors (like alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency).
Chronic asthma is usually caused by an ongoing environmental trigger like allergies including dust mites and pollen.
Symptoms : Common symptoms include chronic cough, sputum production, wheezing, and shortness of breath, especially during physical activities. As the disease progresses, individuals may experience increasing difficulty with daily activities.
Management : While there is no cure for COPD, management strategies can help alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. These may include smoking cessation, medications (like bronchodilators and corticosteroids), pulmonary rehabilitation, and in severe cases, oxygen therapy or surgery.
Early diagnosis and lifestyle modifications are essential to slow the progression of the disease and enhance overall lung function.
An accurate assessment requires complex lung function testing, a high-resolution CT scan of the chest and a Respiratory specialist opinion.