What can I do to help the person I'm caring for?
You should start by learning all you can about COPD and the different treatment options that are available. But don't worry—we've made the research simple for you. Click here to get information about some of these options. If the healthcare provider prescribes a medication requiring a nebulizer or inhaler, be sure to learn how to use it correctly. In addition, the person you care for should also get the proper vaccinations (influenza and pneumococcal) to prevent respiratory infections.
Is there a cure for COPD?
Currently, there is no cure for COPD. However, there are a number of effective treatments that can help control symptoms and help you or a loved one manage the disease. Click here to learn about these treatment options.
Will COPD affect someone's quality of life?
Yes. Because COPD impacts a person's ability to breathe, there is no doubt that COPD will have some effect on lifestyle. After all, every cell in the body needs oxygen to function and stay healthy. That's why exercise can be a beneficial part of treatment. A healthcare provider can help shape an effective exercise program that will suit the lifestyle and physical condition of the person you care for.
If possible, have the patient exercise their upper and lower limbs by doing things like walking. Cycling and treadmill walking are useful alternatives. Even people with severe COPD may be able to do breathing exercises with a therapist. Whatever their stage of COPD, every day should include some kind of physical conditioning.
What's the difference between COPD and asthma?
COPD is not asthma. Both asthma and COPD cause breathing problems. In asthma, medicines can help reduce the swelling around the airways so that breathing can return to normal. With COPD, there is damage to the lungs that is irreversible. Medicines can make breathing easier, but breathing does not return to normal.
COPD includes chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. BROVANA is for treatment of COPD, not asthma.
Helping someone quit smoking
If the person you are caring for is a smoker, one of the best things you can do is encourage them to quit. It can make a real difference in how they feel, and how well their COPD can be managed. Be sure to ask their healthcare provider to recommend stop-smoking programs to help them quit. In addition, it may help their symptoms to avoid other air-pollution risks, such as secondhand smoke, car exhaust, mold, and dust.
Is COPD an inherited disease?
For most people, the answer is no. However, a small percentage of individuals who lack a particular blood protein—alpha-1 antitrypsin—may pass on a gene for this disease. According to the American Lung Association, the absence of alpha-1 antitrypsin makes emphysema almost inevitable. Those with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency who smoke can expect a worsening of the disease. For more information on the alpha-1 antitrypsin form of COPD, visit LungUSA.org and www.alpha1.org.
For most patients, however, COPD is mainly the result of environmental causes such as smoking and exposure to certain chemicals from pollution. Smokers can also affect spouses or even the next generation by exposing their spouse, children, or grandchildren to secondhand smoke.
What is lung function?
Lung function is how well the lungs take in and release air and how well they move oxygen into the body's circulation. Spirometry is one of the best and most common lung function tests used to diagnose COPD. It is a breathing test usually performed in a hospital or lab that measures the amount of air the patient can exhale (called forced vital capacity or FVC) and how much they can exhale in the first second (called forced expiratory volume in 1 second or FEV1).
A healthcare provider may also check the patient's inspiratory flow rate (the amount of air that can be inhaled during the time it takes to take one breath). Some patients with COPD have what's called a low inspiratory flow rate. As a result, they may have trouble taking deep breaths or holding their breath after they inhale. This may affect their ability to get a full dose of medicine into their lungs if they are using a dry powder inhaler (DPI) or metered-dose inhaler (MDI). In this case, a healthcare provider may prescribe a nebulized therapy, because it works effectively with normal breathing.