Are You Aware Of COPD?
What is COPD?
COPD is known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a developing lung condition that makes breathing challenging as a result of a continuous blockage of airflow to the lungs. Chronic exposure to irritants such as air pollution, cigarette smoke, and work-related risks are the most common reasons contributing to COPD. This condition mainly leads to respiratory diseases and you may also experience low quality of life.
People with COPD are more likely to develop diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and a variety of other conditions. The two main disorders that cause COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These two conditions may occur together and the severity of diseases may vary from one to another who suffers from COPD. Even though recovering from COPD is difficult, treatment options such as medication, lifestyle modifications, and pulmonary rehabilitation can be helpful to improve overall lung function.
Smoking and COPD
Smoking is still one of the main risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a prevalent lung condition that restricts breathing. According to recent findings, over 3 million people die from COPD every year. Lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes are among the conditions that people with COPD are more likely to have. Quitting smoking will greatly lower your chance of developing COPD and also other serious coexisting disorders.
Smoking tobacco not only affects your overall health but also threatens the people around you. Mostly, children are contracting this, significantly impacting their lung development while increasing the risk of COPD later in life. The greatest way to avoid COPD is to give up smoking, which lowers the likelihood of secondhand smoke exposure to others while also protecting your health from the negative consequences of nicotine.
Triggers are things that make the symptoms of COPD worse. Improved well-being may result from being aware of certain triggers and knowing how to avoid them. Among the typical triggers for many COPD patients, smoking stands out as being particularly effective at causing flare-ups or an improvement in symptoms. Being around secondhand smoke can have negative effects and worsen the symptoms of COPD even if you don’t smoke.
Are You At Risk Of COPD?
The following are some of the early COPD signs and symptoms.
The symptoms of COPD can be subtle in the early stages and sometimes you won’t be aware of them. Each person may experience COPD differently, due to its symptoms and severity. However, because the disease develops, symptoms frequently get worse with time.
- Chest tightness
- Wheezing, or making a noise similar to whistling when breathing
- Persistent cough and produces a lot of mucous
- Breathing difficulties
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Unintended weight loss
- Swelling in ankles, feet, or legs
- Anxiety or depression that affects day-to-day functioning
- Sleep disturbances
- Dry mouth
- Frequent respiratory diseases