Emphysema will slowly destroy the air sacs in the lungs and interfere with the outward airflow. Bronchitis causes inflammation and bronchial stenosis, leading to mucus accumulation.
The main cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is smoking. Long-term exposure to chemical irritants can also lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is a disease that usually takes a long time to develop.
Diagnosis usually includes imaging examination, routine blood examination and pulmonary function examination.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can't be cured, but treatment can help to relieve symptoms, reduce the chances of complications and generally improve the quality of life. Drug therapy, oxygen supplement therapy and surgery are some forms of treatment. If not treated in time, COPD can further develop into a common chronic disease of pulmonary heart disease and respiratory failure. The disability rate and mortality rate are very high, and the global incidence rate over 40 years old has reached 9% ~ 10%.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can cause dyspnea. The initial symptoms may be mild, with intermittent cough and shortness of breath at first. With the development of the disease, the symptoms will become more and more stable, so that breathing becomes more and more difficult.
At first, the symptoms of COPD were quite mild. You may mistakenly think that they have a cold.
Early symptoms include:
Symptoms will get worse gradually, which is hard to ignore. With the aggravation of lung injury, possible symptoms are:
Late symptoms may also include:
You need to see a doctor immediately if:
If you smoke now or are often exposed to second-hand smoke, the symptoms may be more serious.
In developed countries like the United States, the single biggest cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is smoking. About 90% patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are smokers or former smokers.
Among long-term smokers, 20% to 30% suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Many people have lung diseases or decreased lung function.
Most COPD patients are at least 40 years old and have at least a history of smoking. The longer you smoke, the more products you smoke, and the greater the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Besides smoking, cigars, pipe cigarettes and secondhand smoke can also cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. If you have asthma and smoke, you are at greater risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, long-term exposure to dust in the environment, cooking fumes at home and heating fuel dust can also lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has a certain genetic tendency. It is estimated that up to 5% of COPD patients come from α- 1- antitrypsin deficiency. This deficiency will lead to the deterioration of the lungs and affect the liver. There may be other related genetic factors at work.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is not contagious.
There is no single examination method for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Diagnosis is based on symptoms, physical examination and diagnostic test results.
When you go to see a doctor, you must mention all your symptoms. Tell the doctor the following information:
During the physical examination, the doctor will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope while you breathe. Based on all this information, your doctor may ask for some tests to get more complete information:
Vital capacity measurement: it is a non-invasive examination to evaluate lung function. During the test, you should take a deep breath and then blow into a tube connected to a spirometer.
Imaging examination: including chest X-ray or CT scan. These images can look at your lungs, blood vessels and heart in detail.
Arterial blood gas testing: including taking blood samples from arteries and measuring your blood oxygen, carbon dioxide and other important indicators.
These tests help to determine whether you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other diseases such as asthma, restrictive lung disease or heart failure.
Treatment can relieve symptoms, prevent complications, and usually slow down the progress of the disease.
medicine
Bronchodilator is a kind of medicine, which helps to relax airway muscles, widen airway and make you breathe more smoothly. They are usually inhaled through an inhaler or atomizer. Glucocorticoid can be added to reduce airway inflammation.
Oxygen therapy
If the blood oxygen level is too low, you can receive supplementary oxygen through a mask or nasal cannula to help you breathe better. Portable devices can make it easier for you to walk around.
operate
Surgery is reserved for severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other treatment failure, which is more likely to happen when there is severe emphysema.
One operation is called bullectomy. In this process, the surgeon removes huge, abnormally expanded tissue (pulmonary bullae) from the lungs.
The other is lung volume reduction surgery, which removes damaged upper lung tissue. In some cases, lung transplantation will also be considered.
Lifestyle changes
Some lifestyle changes may also help relieve symptoms.
Most importantly, quit smoking! And avoid exposure to second-hand smoke and chemical smog as much as possible.
In addition, maintain good eating habits and ensure comprehensive nutritional intake.
There is no specific diet for COPD, but a healthy diet is very important to maintain overall health. The stronger you are, the stronger your ability to prevent complications and other health problems.
First of all, ensure a balanced diet, eat more vegetables, fruits, lean meat and dairy products, and ensure adequate vitamins and protein.
Drink more water. Drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day can help keep mucus thin and make it easier to cough up.
Eat less salt. It keeps the body hydrated, which makes breathing tense.
Maintain a healthy weight. When you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, breathing will be more laborious and consume more energy, so you may eat more. But if you are overweight, your lungs and heart will be more burdened.
But that doesn't mean you should be able to lose weight. If you are underweight or weak, it is difficult to beat the disease. Generally speaking, having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will weaken your immune system and reduce your ability to resist infection.
Being full makes it harder for your lungs to expand and makes you short of breath. If this happens, please try the following remedies:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease needs lifelong disease management. This means that you must follow the doctor's advice and keep healthy living habits.
Because the sick lungs are already weak, we should avoid anything that might overload them.
Again, quit smoking! If you have difficulty in quitting smoking, you can go to some smoking cessation centers in top three hospitals for help.
Proper exercise every day helps to keep healthy, but you must consult your doctor about the specific amount of exercise.
Eat healthily. Avoid junk food or deep-processed food with high calorie, high salt and high fat.
If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic diseases, it is also important to manage these diseases, especially diabetes and heart disease.
Be prepared for emergencies. Take emergency contact information with you and stick it on the refrigerator. Includes information about the medicine and dosage you are taking. Enter the emergency phone number into your mobile phone.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer are the main health problems in the world. There are many connections between these two diseases.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer have several common risk factors. Smoking is the number one risk factor for these two diseases. If you breathe secondhand smoke, or if you are exposed to chemicals or other smoke in the workplace, both of these situations are more likely to happen.
Both diseases may have a genetic predisposition. In addition, the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or lung cancer increases with age.
It is estimated that in 2009, 40% to 70% of lung cancer patients with reliable sources suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This 2009 study also confirmed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a risk factor for lung cancer.
In some cases, people don't know they have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease until they are diagnosed with lung cancer.
However, although the two are related, having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease does not necessarily mean having lung cancer.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease progresses slowly. In the early days, even many people may not feel it.
Once diagnosed, you need to start seeing a doctor regularly. You must also take measures to control your illness and make appropriate changes in your daily life.
Early symptoms can usually be controlled, and certain lifestyle choices can help you maintain a good quality of life for a period of time.
With the development of the disease, the symptoms will become more and more serious.
Patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may not be able to take care of themselves. They are at increased risk of respiratory tract infection, heart disease and lung cancer.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease usually shortens life expectancy, although the prospects vary from person to person. The life expectancy of COPD patients who never smoke may decrease slightly, while that of smokers will decrease even more.
Generally speaking, maintaining good living habits, regular physical examination and early treatment are the best ways to fight COPD.