Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, more commonly known as COPD, is a disease of the lungs whereby the bronchial tubes leading down into your lungs become blocked or narrower, thus restricting the amount of air reaching into your lungs and being expelled from them. COPD is a really nasty, slowly progressive disease which cannot be reversed, but can be treated so that it does not worsen and can thus make the sufferer’s life that much more pleasant.

Statistics released in the United States show that COPD is responsible for the deaths of more than 126,000 people each year. Traditionally seen as a predominantly male disease, it is now being seen to a much greater degree in women, especially since data released in 2000 shows that more women now die from it than men. Time for us ladies to sit up and take notice of this silently progressive killer and learn everything there is to know in order to protect ourselves from its deadly grasp.

First and foremost, we need to learn what the 7 most common symptoms of COPD are and what we should look out for, which are:

1. Breathlessness, which is the number one symptom and which manifests upon doing any type of activity at all;

2. A chronic and persistent cough which does not respond long term to any type of medication;

3. A wheezing or whistling sound both when inhaling and exhaling;

4. Increased sputum or mucus production (without a change in color, which would indicate an infection in the lung or lungs);

5. Frequent chest infections;

6. A tightening of the chest; and

7. Tiredness and/or constant fatigue.

There are, of course, a few other symptoms which could help in the diagnosis of COPD, but they are lesser known and somewhat obscure; and are usually only looked at or noticed once the above list of symptoms has been used to get a confirmed diagnosis. These include having a barrel shaped chest; cyanosis (bruise-like discolorations of the mucus membranes and skin which are caused by too much carbon dioxide and too little oxygen in the bloodstream); and hemoptysis (the coughing up of blood from ruptured vessels within the respiratory tract).

COPD is initially diagnosed by assessing the patient, his or her work and home surroundings, checking to see whether he or she is exposed to any harmful substances and if the patient is a smoker. Additional tests which may be carried out to rule out any other causes or diseases include specific blood tests, chest X-rays and Pulmonary Function tests, the latter of which is used to determine just how bad the damage to the lungs is and also to assess just how well (or badly) the lungs are functioning. The most common method of performing this test is done with a hand held instrument called a spirometer, mainly because it gives very precise results, is non-invasive and can be operated by a technician.

The methods of treatment of COPD range from antibiotics to cortisones and from expectorants to bronchodilators. Various forms of alternative (or natural) medicine help some sufferers; while oxygen treatments can also prove useful.

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Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: hemoptysis,mucus membranes ,lungs,Breathlessness,COPD,Pulmonary Disease