As we get older, maintaining our health becomes more and more important. After all, no one wants to face large medical bills with a modest pension or fixed income. That’s why it’s important for seniors to know more about the most common medical conditions such as COPD.
What is COPD?
COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease encompasses several different diseases that cause lung inflammation and reduced airflow. COPD is incurable and gets worse over time, eventually becoming fatal. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema stand out as the most common ones under the COPD umbrella. But while each manifestation of COPD has a number of different symptoms, many of the root causes are quite similar. [1]
In about 80% of cases, the main cause of COPD is cigar smoking, but you can also contract it through the inhalation of certain chemicals and particulates. Either way, these particulates end up causing irritation and inflammation. Your body responds by sending white blood cells to help heal the affected areas, but the side-effect is that certain white blood cell enzymes start to destroy otherwise healthy tissues in your lungs. [2]
COPD Symptoms
Many diseases within the COPD term have overlapping symptoms. The most typical ones are coughing and shortness of breath which can be taken for normal aging. Unfortunately, they get gradually worse over time. Wheezing, chest tightness, changes in mucus, and frequent flues can also be an indication of developing COPD.
Diagnosing COPD
Smokers or people who are exposed to air pollutants as part of their jobs should be aware of COPD symptoms and consult their doctor if they experience any of them.
Your family physician can give you a spirometry test – a test for lung capacity – and order further tests like x-rays and CT scans of your lungs. This way a doctor can successfully diagnose a lung disease and gauge how far it has progressed. [3]
COPD Treatments
After getting diagnosed with COPD and finding out which parts of your lungs are affected, doctors will come up with a plan for treatment. If you’re a smoker, your first step will be to quit as quickly as possible to limit damage to your lungs.
People who suffer from regular shortness of breath can be sent to pulmonary rehabilitation that combines counseling, nutritional guidance, and physical therapy to help you manage a reduction in lung function. [4] Oxygen therapy which delivers supplemental oxygen through a tube, nasal prongs, or a mask is another option. Even if you don’t use oxygen therapy regularly, just having the option can be a significant relief. [5] Finally, medication can improve many of the symptoms.
COPD Risk for Seniors
Unfortunately, a lot of COPD patients only get diagnosed after losing 50% of their lung function [6] which happens over a period of many years, or when they are seniors. COPD not only causes permanent lung damage, but complications from COPD can also cause lung cancer, heart disease, and depression. [7]
Conclusion
Seniors can do many things to lower the risk of getting COPD, but quitting smoking is the most important one. Smoking works against treatment and damages the lungs further. If you feel like your job or lifestyle choices might leave you at risk for contracting COPD, consult your doctor as soon as possible.
[1] https://www.copdfoundation.org/What-is-COPD/Understanding-COPD/What-is-COPD.aspx
[3] https://www.copdfoundation.org/What-is-COPD/Understanding-COPD/How-is-COPD- Diagnosed.aspx
[4] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/copd/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353685
[5] https://medlineplus.gov/oxygentherapy.html
[6] https://www.aplaceformom.com/planning-and-advice/articles/seniors-with-copd
[7] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/copd/symptoms-causes/syc-20353679