If you know of someone, or maybe it is you, who has been diagnosed with COPD you probably have some questions. You might have asked your doctor already, but you might have missed a few things. Or maybe you’ve recently been diagnosed, so let’s start at the beginning.
COPD stand for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Often you are diagnosed with this if you have two long-term lung diseases – chronic bronchitis and emphysema. You probably went to your doctor because you had trouble breathing. To-date there isn’t a cure for COPD, but there are treatments available to help manage the disease. It is important to note that possible additional treatments are found through clinical trials COPD.
COPD is commonly caused by cigarette smoking, and even being around second-hand smoke can attribute to developing this disease. Other causes are long-term exposures to irritants, such as; chemicals, dust and air pollution. And sometimes even genetics can play a role. People lacking a protein called ‘alpha 1 antitrypsin’ are more likely to develop this disease because their lungs are more susceptible to COPD’s devastation.
The goal of treatment for COPD is to ease your symptoms. As I stated already there isn’t a cure yet, so slowing the progress of the disease and preventing and treating complications is imperative to improving the overall quality of the person’s life. Here are some treatments:
* Bronchodilators: medicines (often inhaled) that relax the muscles around airways
* Corticosteroids: medicines that reduce airway inflammation
* Antibiotics: medicines to help fight bacterial infections
* Flu or pneumonia vaccines: shots to reduce the chances of getting the flu or pneumonia
* Pulmonary rehabilitation: a program of exercise, disease management, and counseling to help you stay as healthy and active as possible
* Oxygen therapy: extra oxygen to reduce shortness of breath, protect organs, and enhance your quality of life.
COPD treatments are one of the research studies we’ve been working on here in DeLand, Florida. Some of our investigational treatments have shown promising results, but there is a need to do additional research studies to test investigational methods that may help us understand the condition.