Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ppok): symptoms, causes and remedies

Definition

What is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is a respiratory disease that causes a person to have difficulty breathing due to blocked airways in the lungs. COPD is a progressive disease, meaning that it will get worse over time.

In 2012, more than three million people died from COPD. That figure is equivalent to 6 percent of the number of deaths worldwide that year. Quoted from the world health agency, WHO, COPD itself consists of two main types, namely bronchitis and emphysema.

Some people can have only one of them, while others have both. Two types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease occur, namely:

Chronic bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis is a chronic inflammation of the walls of the bronchial tubes (windpipe). This disease causes the walls of the bronchial tubes in the lungs to become red, swollen, and filled with mucus. This mucus then clogs the napad channels and makes breathing more difficult.

Emphysema

Emphysema gradually destroys the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, making you even more short of breath. Damage to the air sacs will make the number of alveoli in your lungs less.

As a result, it will be difficult for oxygen to enter and carbon dioxide will also have difficulty getting out. This condition also makes exhaling more difficult.

During the breathing process, there are the main parts of the lungs that work, namely the bronchial tubes (windpipe or also known as airways), alveoli (air sacs), and trachea (windpipe).

When you inhale, air moves from the windpipe through the bronchi and then into the alveoli. From the alveoli, oxygen moves into the blood while carbon dioxide leaves the blood.

That's how normal breathing should be. However, for COPD people the process did not go smoothly. Disorders that arise due to this disease can cause shortness of breath.

This causes oxygen deficiency in the lungs, as well as other organs in the body. If this is the case, you should seek medical help as early as possible.

Signs and symptoms

What are the symptoms of COPD?

COPD affects the respiratory system, so it can cause many signs and symptoms that lead to breathing problems. Some of the symptoms and signs of COPD include:

• chronic (prolonged) cough
• cough with clear, white, yellowish gray or green sputum — although rare, the mucus may have bloodstains
• often respiratory infections, such as flu and colds
• shortness of breath, especially during physical exertion
• feeling of tightness in the chest
• wheezing
• fatigue
• low-grade fever and chills

At first, you may not feel any symptoms. Or, even if symptoms do appear, you may only experience mild symptoms and don't even realize that you have COPD. Because it is a progressive disease, the symptoms will only become really annoying if the disease has been lodged in your body for a long time.

When your COPD symptoms have developed over the years, they eventually start to affect your activity level and quality of life. It is at this time that you may just become aware that there is a problem in your lungs.

Exacerbation of COPD

COPD symptoms can get worse suddenly. This condition is known as acute exacerbation of COPD. When left untreated, COPD can get worse. Some of the severe symptoms may require you to be hospitalized.

Exacerbation, also known as flare-ups COPD can even make you feel anxious and have trouble sleeping or even just to carry out your daily activities.

Many triggers can cause exacerbations. The most common trigger is often an infection. According to an article on American Family Physician in 2001, bacterial infection was a contributing factor in up to 70-75% of acute exacerbation of COPD. The rest, it is the virus that causes people to exacerbate COPD.

Air pollution and other environmental irritants can also trigger it flare-ups COPD. Understanding what triggers can potentially cause worsening of symptoms, and working to avoid them can go a long way toward reducing the number of episodes flare-ups and hospital visits.

When should you see a doctor?

Some severe symptoms may require treatment in the hospital. You should seek emergency treatment if you have any of the following problems:

• Trouble catching your breath or speaking.
• Your lips or nails turn blue or gray (this is a sign of low oxygen levels in the blood).
• You are not mentally alert.
• Your heart is beating very fast.
• Treatment recommendations for worsening symptoms are not working.

There may be symptoms that have not been mentioned. If you have concerns about other symptoms, consulting a doctor is the right choice to answer your doubts.

Cause

What causes COPD?

The cause of COPD is blockage or damage to lung tissue. This type of damage usually occurs when you routinely inhale the irritant for a long period of time. Common irritants can include:

• Secondhand smoke (whether active or second-hand smoke) - long-term smoking is the cause of 80 to 90 percent of COPD cases
• Smoke, gas, vapor, or chemicals
• Dust
• Indoor pollution (such as solid fuels used for cooking and heating)
• Outdoor pollution
• Dust and occupational chemicals (vapors, irritants and fumes)
• Lower respiratory infections that often occur during childhood

Risk factors

Who is at risk for this condition?

The main risk factor for COPD is smoking. Apart from smoking, there are other irritants and pollutants that can damage the lungs.

You can find more pollutants in developing countries. Here are other risk factors that can increase your risk of causing COPD:

• People aged 65-74 years
• Non-Hispanic white race
• People who are unemployed, retired, or unable to work
• People with education below high school
• Low income people
• People who divorced, died, or separated
• Current or former smokers
• People with a history of asthma

Complications

What are the possible complications of COPD?

COPD is a disease that has the risk of causing complications. There are several complications of COPD that may occur, such as:

• Heart problems: COPD can cause an irregular heartbeat and changes. This condition is called an arrhythmia. Another heart problem that people with COPD may also be at risk is heart failure.
• High blood pressure: COPD can cause high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply blood to the lungs. This condition is called pulmonary hypertension.
• Respiratory infection: When you have COPD, you may be more likely to catch colds, flu, or even pneumonia (a serious lung infection caused by a virus or fungus). This infection can make your symptoms worse or cause further lung damage.

Diagnosis

How is this condition diagnosed?

COPD is a disease that occurs slowly. This disease is usually diagnosed in people over 40 years. Your doctor will diagnose COPD based on your signs and symptoms, medical and family history, and your test results.

Your doctor may ask you if you smoke or have had contact with lung irritants, such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust. The doctor will also examine you and a stethoscope to listen for wheezing or other abnormal sounds in the chest.

Some of the tests that can be done to diagnose COPD include:

1. Pulmonary function tests

A lung function test will measure how much air you can inhale and exhale. This test can also find out how quickly you can exhale, and how well your lungs are delivering oxygen to the blood.

2. Spirometry

Spirometry is used to measure your ability to breathe. This tool measures how much air you exhale and how fast you can exhale.

3. Chest X-rays or CT scan

This test provides an overview of structures in the chest, such as the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. These descriptions can provide information about whether or not there are signs of COPD.

4. Blood test

A blood test is done to measure the oxygen level in the blood. Blood is examined using a blood sample taken from an artery. The results of this test can show how severe your COPD is and whether you need treatment.

Treatment

What are the medications to relieve COPD symptoms?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for COPD. The best method for treating COPD is prevention and control. This means that what we can do about COPD is to prevent damage and the symptoms do not get worse.

The goals of COPD treatment include:

• Relieves symptoms
• Slows down disease progression
• Increase the ability to stay active
• Prevent and treat complications

1. Medicines

• Bronchodilators: These drugs make it easier for you to breathe by relaxing the muscles in your lungs and widening the airways
• Combination of bronchodilators with inhaled corticosteroids: steroid-type drugs are given with the aim of reducing lung inflammation

2. Vaccines

Getting vaccines regularly every year is also one step that can be taken to prevent the worsening of COPD conditions and symptoms. Some of the vaccines that can prevent pneumonia are:

• Flu vaccine
• Pneumococcal vaccine, which works to prevent diseases caused by the so-called bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus). This vaccine is useful for preventing pneumonia

3. Oxygen therapy

One of the therapies that need to be done is oxygen therapy, especially if the condition is severe enough. COPD is a disease that causes a person to have difficulty taking in oxygen. In severe conditions, a person sometimes needs additional oxygen through routine oxygen therapy.

4. Operation

Surgery is usually a last resort for people who have severe symptoms that don't get better with medication. Surgery is most often associated with emphysema, incl bullectomy and lung volume reduction (LVRS) surgery. Lung transplantation may be an option for people who have very severe COPD.

• Bullectomy , namely the removal of bubbles in the air bag (bullae) in the lungs
• Lung volume reduction surgery
• Lung transplant

How can you prevent COPD relapse?

Lifestyle changes and medication can make you feel better, stay active, and slow the progression of COPD. Some of the ways you can do to prevent COPD relapse are as follows:

Quit smoking and avoid lung irritants

If you smoke, quit. Apart from being the main cause of COPD, smoking is also bad for the development of this disease. Talk to your doctor about programs and products that can help you quit smoking.

Get constant medical help

It is very important to get uninterrupted medical care, especially if your doctor requires you to take certain medications your entire life.

Treat the disease and symptoms

Follow an eating program to get enough calories and nutrients your body needs, because when you have COPD, you can have difficulty eating. Stay active by doing regular physical activity.

Be prepared for emergencies

Write down and save the phone numbers of doctors, hospitals, and someone who can take you to the hospital where they are easily accessible. Call your doctor if you think your symptoms are getting worse or if you have signs of infection, such as fever.