What is COPD? What are the symptoms and treatment methods? How is COPD tested?

COPD disease, named with the initials of the words Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is a result of the blockage of the air sacs in the lungs called bronchi; It is a chronic disease that causes complaints such as breathing difficulties, cough and shortness of breath. The clean air that fills the lungs with breathing is absorbed by the bronchi and the oxygen contained in the clean air is delivered to the tissues with the blood. When COPD occurs, the bronchi become blocked, causing the lung capacity to decrease significantly. In this case, the fresh air taken cannot be absorbed sufficiently from the lungs, therefore sufficient oxygen cannot be delivered to the blood and tissues.

How is COPD diagnosed?

If the person smokes, the presence of long-term shortness of breath, cough and sputum complaints is considered sufficient for the diagnosis of COPD, but a respiratory test evaluation must be performed for a definitive diagnosis. The respiratory evaluation test, which is performed within a few minutes, is performed by the person taking a deep breath and blowing into the respirator. This test, which provides easy information about lung capacity and the stage of the disease, if any, should be performed at least once a year, especially by smokers over the age of 40.

What are the symptoms of COPD?

Another point that is as important as the answer to the question " What is COPD? " is considered to be the symptoms of COPD and following the symptoms correctly. While lung capacity is greatly reduced due to the disease, symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough and phlegm are observed as sufficient oxygen cannot be delivered to the tissues.

• Shortness of breath, which occurs in the initial stages as a result of activities such as fast walking, climbing stairs or running, becomes a problem that can be observed even during sleep in the later stages of the disease.
• Although cough and phlegm problems are seen as symptoms that occur only in the morning hours in the initial stages, as the disease progresses, symptoms of COPD such as severe cough and dense phlegm are observed.

What are the causes of COPD?

It is known that the biggest risk factor in the emergence of COPD is the consumption of cigarettes and similar tobacco products, and the incidence of the disease increases significantly in people exposed to the smoke of these products. Research conducted by the World Health Organization reveals that polluted air conditions are largely effective in the emergence of COPD. In workplaces; It is observed that air pollution due to dust, smoke, chemicals and organic fuels such as wood and dung used in home environments causes obstruction in the bronchi and lung capacity is greatly reduced.

What are the stages of COPD disease?

The disease is named in 4 different stages: mild, moderate, severe and very severe COPD, depending on the severity of the symptoms.

• Mild COPD: A symptom of shortness of breath that may occur during intense work or activities that require effort, such as climbing stairs or carrying loads. This stage is also known as the initial stage of the disease.
• Moderate COPD: This is the stage of COPD that does not interrupt night sleep but causes shortness of breath during simple daily tasks.
• Severe COPD: It is the stage of the disease in which the complaint of shortness of breath interrupts even the nights sleep, and the problem of fatigue due to respiratory distress prevents doing daily tasks.
• Very Severe COPD: In this stage, breathing becomes extremely difficult, the person has difficulty walking even inside the house, and disorders occur in various organs due to the inability to deliver sufficient oxygen to the tissues. Heart failure may develop due to progressive lung disease, and in this case, the patient will be unable to survive without oxygen support.

What are the treatment methods for COPD?

Treatment of COPD generally involves interventions aimed at reducing the severity of symptoms and discomfort, rather than eliminating the disease. At this point, the first step for treatment should be to quit smoking, if used, and to stay away from environments with air pollution. By quitting smoking, the severity of bronchial obstruction is relieved somewhat and the persons complaint of shortness of breath is greatly reduced.

Tobacco, addiction and smoking cessation methods

The most commonly used treatment methods include oxygen therapy, bronchodilator medication and breathing exercises. COPD, which requires regular control and progresses rapidly if left untreated, is one of the diseases that greatly reduces the quality of life. In order to live a healthy and quality life, you can get professional support from the Department of Chest Diseases to quit smoking before it is too late and prevent COPD with regular lung checks.