COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a progressively degenerative lung disease. It causes the lungs to become ineffective and bring in the oxygen into the bloodstream and expelling carbon dioxide from the body. Both of these functions are vital for healthy living.
With COPD, the alveoli walls lose their elasticity, causing them to stay partially inflated making it difficult for the patient to breathe. COPD is also often called the "silent killer" because the symptoms become more severe over time. Worldwide, 3 million deaths annually are attributed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
According to one research, there are more than 13 million people who are affected by COPD and more than 24 million are unaware that they have COPD and are yet to be diagnosed. Hence, it is important to be aware of the symptoms so that on-time treatment is considered.
The COPD symptoms can be mild in the beginning which are usually mistaken as cold. Symptoms of this disease can get worse with time and become difficult to overlook. Since the lungs are more damaged. The most common symptoms are:
COPD grows slowly over time which often results from a combination of risk factors. There are varied COPD causes:
If COPD is left untreated, then it leads to serious health issues such as:
The doctor begins the COPD diagnosis by evaluating the symptoms, clinical history, and habits of the patient such as alcohol, smoking, etc. After gaining the information, the healthcare professional will initiate physical assessment and breathing tests. Spirometry is the most common test conducted for COPD diagnosis. It is a large and flexible tube that is linked to a machine known as a spirometer. It assists the doctor to measure how much air the lungs can hold. There are other tests that help in ruling out other health issues like heart failure, or asthma.
These tests are:
No cure is available for COPD treatment, however, the only objective is easing the symptoms and slowing down the disease. The doctor ensures offering the best treatment by preventing or treating the complications and improving the overall life quality for the patient.
One of the best treatments doctor advise is to stop smoking to prevent COPD. It is also advisable to consult the doctor to try out different things.
The medical treatment options are:
Surgery is recommended in most serious cases which involves bullectomy, lung volume reduction surgery, and lung transplant.
Rukmani Birla Hospital, Jaipur is a multi-speciality hospital offering wide-ranging clinical care to all patients. We have a team of multidisciplinary specialists and some of the finest surgeons in India providing complete care with medical brilliance. RBH incorporates outpatient services such as cardiology, neurosciences, gastro-science, renal science, orthopaedics & joint replacement and several more.
We are armed with up-to-date infrastructure and state-of-the-art technology to ensure a high success rate for diverse surgical measures. Consult us to book an appointment with our leading pulmonologists for durable health benefits.
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