Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease that causes restriction of airflow in the airways and makes it difficult to breathe, The most common causes of COPD are smoking and air pollution. This disease is preventable and manageable.

What are the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Symptoms of the disease appear years later, so the patient may not even suspect the existence of the disease. In most cases, symptoms do not appear until the age of 35.

• Shortness of breath when you are active
• Persistent chesty cough with phlegm
• Frequent respiratory tract infections, especially in wintertime
• Wheezing, noisy breathing

The disease has other symptoms, which can include:

• Weight loss
• Tiredness and weakness
• Swollen ankles

The main cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is tobacco smoking, as tobacco irritates the bronchial epithelium and causes inflammation. Prolonged inflammation leads to irreversible changes. The walls of the respiratory tract thicken, as the size and number of mucus-producing glands and cells increase, the bronchial lumen is clogged by the release of large amounts of mucus, suppresses its protective function, which is a favourable environment for the development of bacterial infection. As a result of mucus production, patients have complaints of coughing with sputum. In addition, tobacco exposure damages the walls of the alveoli, the structural unit in which gas exchange occurs, causing the lungs to lose their elasticity. Chronic exposure leads to airway remodelling, scarring and narrowing of small airways that cannot be repaired. In rare cases, COPD can be caused by pollen, dust, air pollution and genetic disorders.

• Smoking - tobacco use is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 90% of cases of the disease are associated with cigarette smoking.
• Secondhand smoke - being in the same environment as smokers increases the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Emissions and dust - contact with certain types of dust and chemicals such as cereals, isocyanides, and cadmium.
• Air pollution - air pollution can be an additional risk factor.
• Genetic predisposition - there is a rare genetic predisposition to the disease called alpha-1-antitrypsin protein deficiency that causes COPD in about 1% of patients.

Who can be diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mainly affects people over the age of 35, although most cases are not diagnosed until the age of 50. Most patients with this disease do not consult a doctor, as patients write off the presence of symptoms as “smoker's cough”.

How is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosed?

Timely diagnosis of the disease is essential to start treatment and delay the progression of the disease quickly. On the doctor's recommendation, patients undergo various radiological or laboratory tests.

• Chest X-rays - chest X-rays help determine if a patient has other lung diseases, such as lung cancer. New Hospitals offers the latest generation of fully digital radiographs for diagnosing lung diseases with tomosynthesis - layer-by-layer radiography of any system, which involves detailed visualization of the suspected area.
• A breathing test - spirometry - is performed to assess lung function. In this case, the volume and speed of air inhaled and exhaled by the patient is measured by various indicators during breathing in a special device - a spirometer.
• Blood tests - the tests help to determine whether the symptoms are caused by anemia or not.
• Other tests - on the doctor's recommendation, patients may need to undergo cardiological tests - echocardiography or electrocardiography. In some cases, a CT scan may be recommended. Blood tests and examination of sputum samples may also be performed.

How is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated?

Treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is to slow the progression of the disease, not to cure it completely. In most cases, the course of treatment includes drug therapy. However, in rare cases, surgical intervention is possible. The best way to slow the progression of the disease is to stop smoking. Smoking cessation in the early stages of the disease has significant results. Already-formed damage is irreversible, but it is possible to stop the deterioration of the condition by quitting tobacco.

Can chronic obstructive pulmonary disease be prevented?

Smoking cessation is the most effective way to reduce the risk of developing the disease. Studies have found that when patients stop smoking or reduce their exposure to tobacco smoke along with supportive medications, treatment is more effective.