COPD, also known as the “Silent Killer”, is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. COPD is a long term irritation to the lungs that is most commonly developed due to cigarette smoking. Although cigarette smoking is the highest risk factor cause in COPD, working with dust and gases for extended periods put people at a high risk as well, due to the poor air quality it produces. The common symptoms are wheezing (also known as Rhonchi), dyspnea, tightening of the chest, coughing, mucus in lungs that all worsen over a period of time. The things to do to try to prevent this would be to avoid lung irritants and pollutants such as pollution, pollen, chemical based cleaning supplies, perfume/cologne, and smoke, along with many others, this would depend …show more content…
Inflammation damage causes Emphysema, which produces loss of elasticity of the lung tissues that are essential for breathing. COPD is broken down into four main stages with the first being mild, then moderate (stage 2) , now on to severe (stage 3) , and finally ending with very severe. In the mild stage a lot of people go on with their normal daily routines because they only present with a small cough and dyspnea, which they refer to as common cold like symptoms. In this case they are most commonly prescribed with short-acting bronchodialtors such as albuterol, and given the advice to stop smoking if they are, although most symptoms are barely noticeable and more than often go untreated. The next stage is now going to be moderate where dyspnea begins to steadily worsen as there is more coughing and mucus production. At this time is when patients will start reaching out to their doctor to give them proper medications to help improve their breathing and doctors will most often treat this the same as mild with short-acting bronchodialtors as needed, along with advice to eat right and …show more content…
In most of the Mild and Moderate cases of COPD 60-85% are undiagnosed because it doesn’t become noticeable until half of the lung is already gone, which explains why the signs and symptoms in the beginning stages mimic a cold. The more advance the symptoms progress will now put you in the severe stage of COPD, which makes it hard for you to ignore your previous symptoms any longer because they are too severe to go without medical attention. Along with previous stated symptoms, some of stage three COPD include edema, increased dyspnea, morning headaches, more respiratory infections, and unintended weight loss or weight gain. The main difference between mild/moderate and severe is the frequency and severity of the symptoms, making them harder to manage because they are far more persistent. At this point the doctor will be requesting more frequent pulmonary function tests, such as spirometry, lung volumes, cardiopulmonary exercises, and so forth. There will also be supplemental oxygen more than likely being used at night time, and possibly 24-7 that will help with lessening fatigue, prevent heart failure, relieve dyspnea, and more or less prolong your life. The main goal in the previous stated stages is to keep it at a manageable effective treatment plan to slow progression and improve quality of