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View RSS feedChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the collective term for some lung diseases that make breathing difficult. COPD usually affects people over the age of 40 and it's the sixth most common cause of death in England and Wales, causing more than 30,000 deaths a year.
COPD is the overall term used to describe a variety of illnesses, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease. People with COPD have permanently damaged lungs and find it difficult to breathe most of the time.
Causes
Smoking is to blame for COPD in the majority of cases. Smoke from cigarettes causes inflammation in the lungs and destroys the elasticity that allows the lungs to expand and contract as you breathe. Air pollution and polluted work conditions may cause some cases, or make the disease worse. However, people who have never smoked rarely develop COPD.
Symptoms
It is important to speak to your GP if you have any of these symptoms.
Treatment
There is no cure for COPD. Treatment is mainly used to relieve any symptoms that you may experience.
- Bronchodilators - if your main symptom is breathlessness, then you may benefit from a bronchodilator. A bronchodilator is an inhaler that delivers medicine to make your airways wider. There are different types of bronchodilators which work in different ways and they can be of benefit if they are used together.
- Nebulisers - nebulisers can provide bigger doses of medicines but inhalers are just as effective. What you are given depends on how you respond to treatment.
- Steroids - if you become suddenly more short of breath and your symptoms get worse, you may be experiencing what is known as an 'exacerbation'. Your doctor may give you a short course of steroids for a few days. Some people take a steroid inhaler regularly but your doctor will decide if this is necessary for you.
- Antibiotics - if your phlegm changes colour, becomes stickier, or there is more of it, your doctor may give you a course of antibiotics.
As well as treatments, there other ways you can help to improve the symptoms of COPD:
- Stop smoking - The best way to prevent COPD is not to smoke. If you are already a smoker, you should give up because if you do, the progress of COPD can be slowed down. If your symptoms are mild, then stopping smoking may be all that is needed. It is also important to avoid other people's smoke and smoky environments. See our section on Giving up smoking for further information and advice.
- Do regular exercise - This will help to strengthen your heart and lungs and improve your breathing. Try to do 20-30 minutes of exercise a day, 3-4 times per week. Losing weight can also be beneficial as extra weight can cause your breathlessness to worsen. See our section on Keeping physically active for ideas about how to keep fit and healthy.
- Eat a balanced diet – This is very important for keeping your immune system healthy. Try to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, but also reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in your diet. See our section on Healthy eating and drinking for further information and advice about improving your diet.
- Drink lots of fluids – This will help to reduce the amount of mucus and phlegm in your throat and lungs. Water is particularly good.
- Using a steam inhalator or humidifier - This can be used at home and can help to reduce excess mucus and phlegm, but can also reduce the feeling of being 'blocked up' and being unable to breathe properly.
If you have COPD, you are at greater risk of catching other illnesses, such as influenza. You should therefore have an annual 'flu jab' every autumn. See our section on Flu for further information.
Local help and advice
Newcastle Primary Care Trust (PCT) have a Community CHEST team who can provide support and assessment for patients with COPD. The CHEST team can provide advice about the condition or the use of oxygen. Contact them using the details below.
Breathe Easy is a support group network that provides help, support and information for people living with a lung condition, and for those who look after them. Groups get involved with many activities from awareness raising to fundraising. Group members enjoy regular meetings with a variety of speakers and there is plenty of opportunity for a cup of tea and a chat. Most groups also organise a couple of outings each year.
The Newcastle group meets on the first Wednesday of the month, from 2pm until 4pm, at the Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. For more information about Breathe Easy or the support group contact them using the details below or visit the website.
Other useful organisations
St John Ambulance Listening Support Service is a confidential service offering a listening ear and information to anyone with a long-term health problem and their carers. You can call them on telephone number 0191 256 7070.
The Patient Information Centre has a searchable database of over 17,000 health resources in more than 60 languages. Visit the website to search the database.
NHS Direct
British Lung Foundation
Please note - The content on this website is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you are feeling unwell, make an appointment to see your GP or contact NHS Direct. In an emergency, dial 999.
Contact Information
Breathe Easy
British Lung Foundation - North, The Sir GB Hunter Memorial Hospital, The Green, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, NE28 7PB.
Telephone : 0191 263 0276, Telephone Helpline : 0845 850 50 20, Fax : 0191 262 2660.
Email : north@blf-uk.org
Community CHEST Service
Interface Office, c/o Ward 43, RVI, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4LP.
Telephone : 0191 282 5642.
Article last updated October 24, 2008 8:27 am
