Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

27 May 2020

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the third leading cause of death in America according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

This falls into something the medical industry calls “chronic lower respiratory group of diseases”, which covers conditions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

On the other hand, asthma is also a chronic lifelong condition that affects the airways. It is characterized by wheezing and difficulty breathing, often  triggered by an allergen such as pollen or dust, which causes the airways to swell.

In both scenarios, they are lung diseases that obstruct your lungs, making it harder for you to breathe. If someone has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), typically they do not have asthma and vice versa.

However, there are scenarios where you will have COPD and asthma together. If so, you will have a condition known as Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS).

Who Is Likely to Get ACOS

Nearly 1% of people suffering from COPD have a genetic disorder responsible for causing the disease. COPD typically develops in middle-aged and older people because of the risk factors associated with COPD. The risk factors are as follows:

• Exposure to tobacco smoke
• Long-term exposure to chemicals and dust
• People with asthma
• Overexposure to fumes from burning fuels especially in developing countries

Some of the risk factors that can cause asthma are as follows:

• Allergies
• Smoking
• Lung infections
• Exposure to irritants in the air
• Obesity

Most of the risk factors that cause most of the chronic respiratory diseases can be avoided apart from genetics. Here are some of the risk factors for respiratory disease:

• Allergens
• Occupational exposure to chemicals and fumes
• Obesity
• Outdoor air pollutants
• Tobacco smoke
• Indoor air pollutants
• Secondhand tobacco smoke
• Diet and nutrition

Symptoms

Because COPD and asthma cause your airways to swell, they will cause you to have the following symptoms:

• Cough
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath

A notable difference is that with COPD, the symptoms are typically constant, and the cough will have phlegm. With asthma, you will experience more of tightness in your chest and wheezing.

Diagnosis

Usually, diagnosis begins with questions about your medical history, a physical exam, and then they will look at your throat and nose and listen to your lungs using a stethoscope.

Questions asked range from:

• If any of your family members have asthma
• What symptoms do you have
• What is your occupation and if you are exposed to certain chemicals or irritants
• If you are a smoker or you have been exposed to secondhand smoke

At Memorial Village ER, our doctor will perform a test called spirometry, which allows them to check if your lungs are healthy. It is a painless and simple test to see how your lungs function. All you have to do is blow into a tube, and the device does the rest.

To check whether you are suffering from COPD, our doctor will also do:

• Check the state of your lungs by taking X-rays
• Perform an arterial blood gas test, which will measure how much oxygen you have in your blood.

How to Test Yourself for COPD

Since COPD can sneak up on you as compared to asthma and may go on for close to 30 years, it is best to know how to test yourself for COPD. “Is COPD a terminal illness?” Yes, it is. The disease is progressive. So, this might help you take immediate action to help you manage the disease.

You can check your lung function with the aid of a stopwatch.

First, take a full breath and hold it for one second. Then blow out as hard as you can through your mouth as fast and as hard as possible. You should empty your lungs until you cannot blow out any more air (even if you try) for a maximum of six seconds.

If you take longer than six seconds to blow out the air, then your airways are obstructed.

Treating COPD

For people who have asthma, here are some of the treatments available:

• Corticosteroids
• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Immunomodulators
• Anticholinergics
• Allergy shots

If you have COPD, you will need a treatment plan that will slow down the disease’s progression. This is what you can expect:

• Bronchodilators
• Corticosteroids
• Antibiotics

Then some nondrug treatments can be used to aid with the symptoms:

• Supplemental oxygen
• Pulmonary rehabilitation

Whether you have asthma or COPD or both, it is crucial that you stop smoking and avoid irritants such as allergens, spray chemicals, secondhand smoke, perfumes, and other scents.

We will do our best to help improve the quality of your life if you suffer from COPD or asthma or ACOS (COPD and asthma together) at Memorial Village ER.

Asthma Emergency Room Treatment In Houston near Energy Corridor / Memorial City

We recommend visiting an ER if you experience wheezing, tight neck and chest muscles, persistent coughing, trouble talking or catching your breath, flaring nostrils as you breathe, difficulty walking, a bluish tinge to your fingernails and lips.

These signs typically indicate a worsening asthma attack and should be addressed using an emergency room asthma protocol. If you are experiencing these symptoms while in the Houston area, please Visit Memorial Village ER right away.

We’re well-versed in asthma emergencies. We work fast to alleviate your symptoms and get you on the path to recovery.