COPD: Symptoms, Causes, and Cure

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COPD: Symptoms, Causes, and Cure


The term COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. As its name shows this disease mainly affects the most important part of the human body i.e., lungs, and causes severe breathing problems. People of old age are more likely to suffer from this disease. Smokers are an easy target for the disease. Here, we are not only telling you about COPD and the complications it induces to the human body but we will also let you know about its different types, causes, symptoms, and cures.

Complications Induced by COPD:

There are several complications and problems from which the human body suffers after being victimized by COPD. Here we are mentioning a few main issues;

  •  Respiratory illnesses
  •  Cardiac issue
  •  Cancer of lungs
  •  Anxiety and depressions
  •  The problem of high Blood pressure

Types of COPD:

There are mainly two types of COPD or we can say COPD is mainly categorized as:

  • · Emphysema
  • · Chronic Bronchitis

Let’s discuss these types in detail

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Emphysema is the type of COPD that causes damage to the lungs by weakening and damaging the alveoli. As a result, the lungs can’t get enough oxygen. In most cases, it’s observed that Emphysema remains dormant until 50% of the lung tissue is damaged. This is because of the fact that symptoms of Emphysema take a long to develop.

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Chronic Bronchitis arises as a result of inflammation of bronchial tubes. Resultantly, the lining of bronchial tubes swells up restricting sufficient airflow to the lungs. It causes a serious and continuous cough with heavy mucus and phlegm.

Differences between Asthma and COPD:

There is a question that is more frequently asked by the people that are asthma and COPD the same or is there any difference between them?

The answer is that asthma and COPD both are different diseases; they are not the same. The only similarity between these diseases is that both of these diseases affect the lungs and cause breathing issues and respiratory problems.

What are the Causes of COPD?

COPD is the disease of the lungs so the causes of COPD are the factors that affect the lungs. Here are the main causes of COPD:

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It’s widely known that smoking is extremely injurious to health. Smoking is the first and foremost reason for COPD. Research shows that smoking is responsible for COPD in every 9 out of 10 cases. The people who do excessive smoking are most likely to be suffering from COPD.

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Overexposure to dust and harmful chemicals can also cause COPD because dust and harmful chemicals can directly affect the lungs. The list of harmful chemicals includes coal dust, welding fumes, silica dust, cadmium dust, and fumes.

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Asthma is a respiratory disease and the asthmatic person can is most likely to suffer from COPD. Asthma can increase the risk of weaknesses of lungs which can be the reason for causing COPD.

How to diagnose COPD?

Diagnosis of this disease depends upon the symptoms and conditions of patients. However, there are also available tests and scanning that can help to diagnose this disease. They are;

  •  Spirometry
  •  Chest X Rays
  •  CT scan
  •  Blood tests
  •  Genetic Testing

Treatment of the Symptoms of COPD:

50% of the people who are experiencing the symptoms don’t even know about COPD. It is because of a lack of knowledge and awareness about the disease.  However, it can be very dangerous. Even if you notice a single COPD symptom consult your doctor immediately.

Several treatments can help in reducing the damage but yes there is no cure for this disease.

As it is already mentioned that it affects the lungs and the damage it causes to our lungs cannot be cured by any medications and treatment.  But yes, proper treatment and medicines can help stop further damage or slow down the damage.

These are the few medications that can help in the treatment of the causes of COPD

  •  Antibiotics
  •  Flu vaccines
  •  Inhalers
  •  Bronchodilators

Symptoms of COPD:

The following are the main symptoms of COPD;

  •  Breathing issues
  •  Whistling while breathing
  •  Chest tightness
  •  Weight loss
  •  Legs swelling
  •  Heavy cough followed by mucus
  •  Low energy
  •  Respiratory infections

How harmful is COPD?

COPD is a harmful disease. According to research, it is one of the major causes of death in the world. Many doctors consider it the most severe and deadly respiratory disease. How harmful COPD Is depends upon its stage. There are four stages of COPD;

  •  Mild COPD
  •  Moderate COPD
  •  Severe COPD
  •  Very Severe COPD

Conclusion:

The main objective of the discussion is to create awareness among people about COPD’s causes and symptoms in order to help curb the spread of COPD. Herein, we have discussed in detail COPD and how its different types affect the human body. COPD is a dangerous disease and in order to prevent ourselves from it, we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. We also need to visit our doctor for regular checkups.