Hina Mahajabeen asked:
COPD is an irreversible disease with no cure. However, using a variety of treatment options, the goal of COPD management should be to improve quality of daily living by relieving symptoms, recurrence of flare-ups, and slowing the rapid advancement of the stages in this progressive disease.
Giving Up Smoking:
The most important therapeutic intervention remains immediate cessation of smoking. Seeking help and information from your pulmunologist can help decide on various methods like nicotine replacement aids, transdermal nicotine patches, chewing pieces and other relaxation techniques that help with quitting smoking. Though damage caused to the lungs by smoking in COPD is not reversible, quitting smoking helps with halting further damage.
Other treatments for COPD may include medicines, vaccines, pulmonary rehabilitation programs, oxygen therapy and surgery in very advanced stages of COPD.
Medicines – Bronchodilators
Medications used to primarily relax muscles affected by airway constriction are called Bronchodilators. They help ease breathing, control occurrences of flare-ups, combat inflammation and bacterial infections. These medicines may be administered using a device such as a metered dose inhaler, dry powder inhaler or nebulizer. Often a combination of different types of medications falling under bronchodilators such as pills, tablets, or IV is used by doctors.
Beta-Agonists
Short-acting beta-agonists are used when symptoms are episodic as when exercising. They are also used when shortness of breath starts as a pre-cursor to a full-blown attack, effectively preventing it. Long-acting beta-agonists are used to treat daily symptoms that last over 12 hours.
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Methylxanthines or theophyllines are used to improve diaphragm muscle contractility and stimulate the respiratory center.
Inhaled Glucocorticosteroids (Steroids)
Inhaled steroids are normally used in moderate or severe COPD to reduce airway inflammation. Normally, they are used in patients of COPD for a trial period of about 6 weeks to 3 months only. They are believed to be less effective in the treatment of COPD than with other diseases they are used for.
Mucolytic Agents
These agents reduce sputum viscosity and improve secretion clearance as cough associated with excessive mucus is one of the earliest symptoms that continues to advanced stages of the disease also.
Oxygen Therapy
COPD commonly is associated with low levels of oxygen in blood. Oxygen stored in a portable tank is administered to the patient through a flexible nasal tube or face mask. Oxygen administration reduces mortality rates in patients with advanced COPD because of the favorable effects on pulmonary health.
Surgical Options
When advanced COPD has resulted in significant lung damage surgery may be suitable. Bullectomy is advised in cases where spirometric breathing tests show poor lung function. This procedure removes air spaces that sometimes form when air sacks break and interfere with breathing.
o Bullectomy is advised in cases where spirometric breathing tests show poor lung function. This procedure removes air spaces that sometimes form when air sacks break and interfere with breathing.
o Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is a procedure to remove sections of damaged lung tissue.
o Lung transplant is undertaken in very severe cases of COPD to replace a diseased lung with a healthy donor lung.
Other Lifestyle Changes
Along with the above treatments, patients would be well advised to follow a pulmonary rehabilitation program that gives a holistic approach including but not limited to nutrition advice, breathing exercises and other types of exercises for COPD patients. As infections such as flu and influenza worsen COPD, annual flu and influenza shots are a must.
portable nebulizer
COPD is an irreversible disease with no cure. However, using a variety of treatment options, the goal of COPD management should be to improve quality of daily living by relieving symptoms, recurrence of flare-ups, and slowing the rapid advancement of the stages in this progressive disease.
Giving Up Smoking:
The most important therapeutic intervention remains immediate cessation of smoking. Seeking help and information from your pulmunologist can help decide on various methods like nicotine replacement aids, transdermal nicotine patches, chewing pieces and other relaxation techniques that help with quitting smoking. Though damage caused to the lungs by smoking in COPD is not reversible, quitting smoking helps with halting further damage.
Other treatments for COPD may include medicines, vaccines, pulmonary rehabilitation programs, oxygen therapy and surgery in very advanced stages of COPD.
Medicines – Bronchodilators
Medications used to primarily relax muscles affected by airway constriction are called Bronchodilators. They help ease breathing, control occurrences of flare-ups, combat inflammation and bacterial infections. These medicines may be administered using a device such as a metered dose inhaler, dry powder inhaler or nebulizer. Often a combination of different types of medications falling under bronchodilators such as pills, tablets, or IV is used by doctors.
Beta-Agonists
Short-acting beta-agonists are used when symptoms are episodic as when exercising. They are also used when shortness of breath starts as a pre-cursor to a full-blown attack, effectively preventing it. Long-acting beta-agonists are used to treat daily symptoms that last over 12 hours.
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Methylxanthines or theophyllines are used to improve diaphragm muscle contractility and stimulate the respiratory center.
Inhaled Glucocorticosteroids (Steroids)
Inhaled steroids are normally used in moderate or severe COPD to reduce airway inflammation. Normally, they are used in patients of COPD for a trial period of about 6 weeks to 3 months only. They are believed to be less effective in the treatment of COPD than with other diseases they are used for.
Mucolytic Agents
These agents reduce sputum viscosity and improve secretion clearance as cough associated with excessive mucus is one of the earliest symptoms that continues to advanced stages of the disease also.
Oxygen Therapy
COPD commonly is associated with low levels of oxygen in blood. Oxygen stored in a portable tank is administered to the patient through a flexible nasal tube or face mask. Oxygen administration reduces mortality rates in patients with advanced COPD because of the favorable effects on pulmonary health.
Surgical Options
When advanced COPD has resulted in significant lung damage surgery may be suitable. Bullectomy is advised in cases where spirometric breathing tests show poor lung function. This procedure removes air spaces that sometimes form when air sacks break and interfere with breathing.
o Bullectomy is advised in cases where spirometric breathing tests show poor lung function. This procedure removes air spaces that sometimes form when air sacks break and interfere with breathing.
o Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is a procedure to remove sections of damaged lung tissue.
o Lung transplant is undertaken in very severe cases of COPD to replace a diseased lung with a healthy donor lung.
Other Lifestyle Changes
Along with the above treatments, patients would be well advised to follow a pulmonary rehabilitation program that gives a holistic approach including but not limited to nutrition advice, breathing exercises and other types of exercises for COPD patients. As infections such as flu and influenza worsen COPD, annual flu and influenza shots are a must.
portable nebulizer
