Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects about 24 millions America. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States. COPD is described as a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it hard for a person to breathe. This includes, but not limited to, emphysema, asthma, and even chronic bronchitis. In order to determine if you have COPD, a spirometry test can be performed to determine the amount of air expelled from your lungs. Those that suffer from this describe it as having a shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and having tightness in their chest. During the early stages of COPD signs and symptoms are not very blunt. Letting your doctor know as soon as any signs or symptoms occur can help prevent or get it under control to make this problem manageable. Most patients mistake this disease with normal signs of aging. There are many different causes to COPD, for example, tobacco use and air pollutants play a big role.
Cigarette …show more content…
Other symptoms such as wheezing, coughing or shortness of breath can be controlled with medication. Although there is no cure for this, patients are able to go through respiratory rehabilitation to help strengthen their lungs. At rehab they’ll teach the patient breathing techniques, how to relax when they feel like their airway is being cut off, and how to stay healthy to avoid COPD. Spirometry tests can be performed to see how the patient's lungs are doing. It’s used to measure how much air you inhale, exhale and how fast it’s expelled. The test can also determine how severe the patients COPD is. Bronchodilators are also helpful when it comes to treating COPD. A more common name for this would be an inhaler. They work by relaxing the muscles around your airway to make breathing easier. Inhalers are a convenient way to allow air to go directly into your
Cigarette …show more content…
Other symptoms such as wheezing, coughing or shortness of breath can be controlled with medication. Although there is no cure for this, patients are able to go through respiratory rehabilitation to help strengthen their lungs. At rehab they’ll teach the patient breathing techniques, how to relax when they feel like their airway is being cut off, and how to stay healthy to avoid COPD. Spirometry tests can be performed to see how the patient's lungs are doing. It’s used to measure how much air you inhale, exhale and how fast it’s expelled. The test can also determine how severe the patients COPD is. Bronchodilators are also helpful when it comes to treating COPD. A more common name for this would be an inhaler. They work by relaxing the muscles around your airway to make breathing easier. Inhalers are a convenient way to allow air to go directly into your