COPD-Emphysema – Physically Fit Seniors

050124 COPD-Emphysema

This disease killed my Grandpa when I was only twenty years old. Don’t let it get you too.

Stop the damm smoking, chewing, vaping and whatever else that contains nicotine and all the rest of the crap that tobacco has in it that will eventually kill your sorry ass if you don’t stop…right now!

Now I am off my soap box and back on the topic of Emphysema[1].

Brief synopsis

“COPD”. Does this ring a bell for anyone? Of course it does, because of all the ads on TV touting the latest drug to help COPD victims.

The recognizable term COPD is a coverall acronym for a whole host of lung diseases including Emphysema.

What is COPD?

Per the CDC website Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. It includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD makes breathing difficult for the 16 million Americans who have this disease. Millions more people suffer from COPD, but have not been diagnosed and are not being treated. Although there is no cure for COPD, it can be treated.

What are the symptoms of COPD?

Frequent coughing or wheezing.
Excess phlegm, mucus, or sputum production.
Shortness of breath.
Trouble taking a deep breath.

Who has COPD?

The illustration on the left side is a healthy lung as can be seen by the open Alveoli.

The right side shows a lung with Emphysema.

Chronic lower respiratory disease, primarily COPD, was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States in 2018.¹ Almost 15.7 million Americans (6.4%) reported that they have been diagnosed with COPD.² More than 50% of adults with low pulmonary function were not aware that they had COPD,³ so the actual number may be higher. The following groups were more likely to report COPD in 2013.²

Women.
People aged 65 to 74 years and ≥75 years.
American Indians/Alaska Natives and multiracial non-Hispanics.
People who were unemployed, retired, or unable to work.
People with less than a high school education.
People who were divorced, widowed, or separated.
Current or former smokers.
People with a history of asthma.

COPD Among Women

In the past, COPD was often thought of as a man’s disease, but things have changed in the past couple of decades. Since 2000, more women than men have died from COPD in the United States.⁴ In 2018, chronic lower respiratory disease, primarily COPD, was the fourth leading cause of death among US women.⁴ The age-adjusted death rates for COPD have dropped among US men, but death rates have not changed for women.⁵ More women than men are also living with COPD in the United States.⁵

There are several reasons why COPD might affect women differently than men.⁶ Women tend to be diagnosed later than men, when the disease is more advanced and treatment is less effective. Women also seem to be more vulnerable to the effects of tobacco and other harmful substances, such as indoor air pollution. For example, tobacco smoke is the main cause of COPD in the United States, but women who smoke tend to get COPD at younger ages and with lower levels of smoking than men who smoke. There also appear to be differences in how women and men respond to different treatments.

120124 What are the causes and complications of COPD?

What causes COPD?

In the United States, tobacco smoke is a key factor in the development and progression of COPD.⁷ Exposure to air pollutants in the home and workplace, genetic factors, and respiratory infections also play a role. In the developing world, indoor air quality is thought to play a larger role than it does in the United States. People should try to avoid inhaling tobacco smoke, home and workplace air pollutants, and respiratory infections to prevent developing COPD. Early detection of COPD may change its course and progress.

What are the complications or effects of COPD?

Compared to adults without COPD, those with this disease are more likely to:

Have activity limitations like difficulty walking or climbing stairs.²^,⁸^,⁹
Be unable to work.²^,⁸
Need special equipment like portable oxygen tanks.²
Not engage in social activities like eating out, going to places of worship, going to group events, or getting together with friends or neighbors.⁹
Have increased confusion or memory loss.⁸
Have more emergency room visits or overnight hospital stays.¹⁰
Have other chronic diseases like arthritis, congestive heart failure, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, or asthma.¹⁰^,¹¹
Have depression or other mental or emotional conditions.¹⁰^,¹¹
Report a fair or poor health status.¹²

How is COPD diagnosed and treated?

How is COPD diagnosed?

A simple test, called spirometry[2], can be used to measure pulmonary—or lung—function and detect COPD in anyone with breathing problems.³^,13

This device can also be used after surgery to help clear the lungs out quicker than just deep breathing. Check with your Doctor and find out if it would benefit you.

Potential Risks and side effects of using the Spirometry device
Spirometry is a straightforward test and is generally considered very safe. Some people may feel dizzy, faint, shaky, sick or tired for a short period afterwards.

Most people are able to have a spirometry test safely. But the test increases the pressure inside your head, chest, stomach and eyes as you breathe out, so it may need to be delayed or avoided if you have a condition that could be made worse by this.

For example, spirometry may not be safe if you have, or have recently had, unstable angina, a heart attack, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or an operation to your head, chest, stomach or eyes.

[1] 1. https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+emphysema&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS947US947&oq=what+is+emphy&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgAEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgAEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIJCAkQABgKGIAE0gEINzg2MWowajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

a condition in which the air sacs of the lungs are damaged and enlarged, causing breathlessness.”smoking can lead to serious lung diseases such as emphysema”a condition in which air is abnormally present within the body tissues.

[2] Spirometry is a simple test used to help diagnose and monitor certain lung conditions by measuring how much air you can breathe out in one forced breath. It’s carried out using a device called a spirometer, which is a small machine attached by a cable to a mouthpiece Spirometry

Medical test

Spirometry is the most common of the pulmonary function tests. It measures lung function, specifically the amount and/or speed of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. Spirometry is helpful in assessing breathing patterns that identify conditions such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and COPD..