Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease  (COPD)

What is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease where the airflow in lungs is obstructed. It is a progressive disease. It is also known as,

COLD – chronic obstructive lung disease, or,

COAD – chronic obstructive airway disease.

 330 million (5%) people in world are suffering from COPD. 

Common symptoms,

Difficulty in breathing,

Cough with sputum production,

Chest tightness,

Wheezing (whistling sound in chest during respiration).

What are the causes of COPD?

1. Tobacco smoking is most common cause. Approximately 20-30% smokers do suffer from COPD.

 2. Genetic - It may run in a family of smokers.

 3.  Chronic bronchitis- Person suffering from chronic bronchitis may develop COPD in future.

 4. Asthma- Person having asthma is also prone to develop COPD. Inhalers (bronchodilators) do not give much relief in COPD, unlike in asthma.

 5.  Emphysema- It is a condition where lung tissues break down. Patients suffering from emphysema are at high risk of developing COPD.

 6.  Air Pollution - Smoke, dust, air pollution, fumes, gases etc. contribute in the development of COPD. Urban people are more prone to get COPD than Rural.

 7.  Occupational Hazard - People working in chemical factories where there is a regular exposure to fumes, smoke, and gases, dust particles are at high risk to COPD.

 8. Low immunity- Factors responsible for low immunity like HIV / AIDS, TB, recurrent respiratory infections  etc may cause COPD.

How COPD develops?

External toxins like smoke, harmful fumes, gases infect the air tubes in lungs and causes internal swelling of these tubes. Thus airways narrow down leading to obstruction in the airflow in and out. Mucus secreting cells in these tubes starts producing more and more mucus, as a part of defense mechanism, which is then thrown out with cough.

What are the symptoms of COPD

 1.Chronic cough with sputum production for 3 months in a year for approximately 2 years.

2. Sputum can be from white, yellow, to green in colour but which may turn to even darker colour due to chronic infection.

3.  Difficulty in breathing.

 Grade I – Breathlessness only after strenuous activity,,

Grade II – After vigorous walk,

Grade III – After normal walk,

Grade IV –After few minutes of walking,

Grade V – With changing clothes.

4. One suffers from wheezing and chest tightness in case of COPD.

 5. Person may feel fatigue/weakness.

6.  Person might experience a phase of symptoms aggravation (exacerbation) which might persists for few days.

 Preventions of COPD

 1.     Quitting cigarette smoking or avoiding it.

2.     Using mask to protect oneself from the harmful smoke, dust, fumes present in the environment or in the work place.

3.     Balanced diet- Proper balanced diet can raise ones immunity levels and thus helps in protecting or fighting back from recurrent illnesses.

4.     Regular exercise- Regular physical and breathing exercise may help to a certain extent in increasing the lung capacity and also strengthening the respiratory muscles.

What are the complications of COPD

 1.     High Blood Pressure - Due to loss of elasticity of the blood vessels one develops high blood pressure in the complicated cases of COPD.

 2.     COPD patients are much prone to have lung complications like any other respiratory infections and lung cancer.

Diagnoses of COPD

 1.  X-ray of chest, CT scan of the lungs can diagnose the condition.

 2.  Pulmonary function test can be done to know the capacity of lungs.

Treatment of COPD

 1.     Medications like antibiotics, inhalers, steroids, and bronchodilators are used for the treatment of COPD. Oxygen therapy is second stage of treatment where patient does not respond to medicines.

2.     Rehabilitation center - Training can be given to quit cigarette smoking.

3.     In severe cases- where medications do not work then lung transplant is can be done as well.

 Homeopathic treatment of COPD

1) Homeopathic medicines are effective in reducing the inflammation of air tubes in lungs for long lasting relief.  Thus it helps in relieving the symptoms like cough, wheezing, chest tightness, and difficulty in breathing. 

2) Frequency and intensity of acute breathless attack reduces.

3) Simultaneously Homeopathy improves immunity reducing frequent respiratory infection.

 4) Homeopathic medicines increases lung’s oxygen carrying capacity. It can also help in strengthening of the respiratory muscles.

5) Homeopathy reduces your dependency on antibiotics or steroid based inhalers. Thus protecting immunity from the side effects caused by these medicines.

6) Thus Homeopathy improves general health and quality of life.