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COPD: Catching the (Silent Killer) According to the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute about 12 million Americans likely have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but don't
know it. Because COPD often produces no symptoms in its early stages, it is often not caught until severe breathing problems
develop. That's why COPD is sometimes referred to as "chronic overlooked pulmonary disease." However, by catching
the disease early, people with COPD can make lifestyle changes and start on treatments that will slow the loss of lung function,
improve their quality of life, and, in some cases, increase survival. To help identify
COPD at its earliest stages before it causes serious lung damage, anyone at risk for COPD should take a simple, painless,
noninvasive breathing test called spirometry at the first sign of any breathing difficulties. People at risk for COPD include
current and former smokers over age 40, anyone exposed to environmental tobacco smoke or irritants in the workplace, people
with a family history of COPD, and anyone with the genetic abnormality alpha1-antitrypsin, or AAT, deficiency. Anyone
of any age, regardless of smoking history, should have a spirometry test if they have these COPD symptoms: - constant
coughing, sometimes called smoker's cough
- shortness of breath while doing activities
you used to be able to do
- excess sputum production
- feeling like you
can't breathe
- difficulty taking a deep breath
- wheezing
What Is Spirometry?
Spirometry is a lung function test that measures the amount
of air you can blow out of your lungs and how fast you can blow it out. The test is performed with a machine called a spirometer.
To perform the test, you will be asked to take as deep a breath as you can, and to then blow out as hard and as fast as you
can into a disposable mouthpiece that is connected to the spirometer with a flexible tube. The spirometer will then measure
how much air you exhaled in the first second, called the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and the total amount
of air exhaled, known as the forced vital capacity (FVC). Some portable office spirometers measure FEV1 and the total amount
you exhaled in six seconds (FEV6). On these spirometers, FEV6 is used as a substitute for FVC. Doctors
use the ratio of FEV1 to FVC (or FEV6) to help determine whether your lungs are functioning normally. The ratio is obtained
by dividing your FEV1 by your FVC (or FEV6). A value less than 70% suggests
that you may have COPD. FEV1 is used to measure the severity of COPD. It is expressed as a percentage of the average result
expected (the percent predicted) for a healthy person of your age, height, gender, and race. For example, a person with an
FEV1 of 50% exhales about half the amount that a similar healthy person would be expected to exhale in one second. In general,
an FEV1 greater than 80% of predicted is considered normal. Why Early Diagnosis of COPD
Matters
If you're in an at-risk group and spirometry indicates your lungs are healthy, experts recommend
getting retested in three to five years. If you do have COPD, the sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you'll be able
to start treatment and make lifestyle changes that can help slow disease progression. If you have mild or moderate COPD, your
doctor may recommend some or all of the following: ·
Stop smoking. If you smoke, quitting will prevent further damage to your lungs as well as help preserve
remaining lung function. · Get
vaccinated. The flu can be very harmful to people with COPD, often leading to pneumonia and other serious respiratory
problems that require hospitalization. To protect yourself from the influenza virus, get a flu shot yearly. A pneumococcal
vaccine every five to 10 years also is important. ·
Take your medications. Proper treatment can help to reduce the frequency of COPD exacerbations. If
you occasionally have symptoms, your doctor may prescribe a short-acting bronchodilator, such as ipratropium (Atrovent HFA)
or levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA) to be used as needed. When your symptoms become more frequent, a long-acting bronchodilator,
such as tiotropium (Spiriva) or salmeterol (Serevent), might be prescribed. · Go to pulmonary rehabilitation classes. This program of education
and exercise classes for people with all stages of COPD teaches you about how your lungs function, how to exercise and do
activities with less shortness of breath, and how to live better with your lung condition.
Posted in Lung Disorders on July 16, 2009 All Lung Disorders Special Reports
| | COPD: Catching the “Silent Killer”
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute about
12 million Americans likely have COPD but don't know it. Because COPD often produces no symptoms in its early stages,
it is often not caught until severe breathing problems develop. That's why COPD is sometimes referred to as 'chronic
overlooked pulmonary disease.' However, by catching the disease early, people with COPD can make lifestyle changes and
start on treatments that will slow the loss of lung function, improve their quality of life, and, in some cases, increase
survival. More...
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| Home Monitoring for Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea affects an estimated 19 million. Getting diagnosed
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among sleep specialists. Recently, portable monitoring devices that can be used in the home were recommended by the American
Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) to test for sleep apnea in some patients. Here's what you need to know. … More...
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| Looking At How The Lungs Work
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When all goes well, you breathe in and out about 25,000 times each day. Every inward breath carries oxygen into your lungs,
where it passes into your bloodstream and is pumped with each heartbeat throughout your body, powering the chemical energy
that keeps you alive and operating. An exhalation always follows, ridding your body of a waste product: carbon dioxide.
More...
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| Advice on Home Air Cleaners
If you have a lung condition and are trying to reduce indoor air
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| 9 Common Mold Myths
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asthma to headaches. But what's the real scientific evidence that exposure to mold in your home actually can cause physical
symptoms? A recent review of scientific literature about mold-related diseases found that, while mold can cause certain
health problems, many common claims just don't hold up under scrutiny. … More...
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| Why Popular Asthma Drugs Got the Black Box Warning
Users who use Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, Foradil Aerolizer, Serevent
Diskus, and Symbicort for their asthma must decide if it makes sense to continue with these drugs despite the risks. If
you rely on one of the popular long-acting asthma medications -- Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, Foradil Aerolizer, or Serevent
Diskus -- it must have been a jolt to read the medical advisory that you suddenly began to find in the package along with
your asthma… More...
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| The Facts Behind Pillar Palatal Implants
Dr. Peter B. Terry, Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins’
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, explains how pillar palatal implants act to reduce snoring. If snoring
is keeping you awake -- not to mention your long-suffering family -- you may be desperate for ideas to stop that unending
nighttime noise. There are many options beyond taping a tennis ball to your back to keep yourself from rolling into a
snoring position. You can have… More...
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| What You Should Know About Treating Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the most dangerous type of cancer, killing 85% of
people within five years of diagnosis. “Lung cancer causes more deaths in women than breast and ovarian cancer combined,
and more than three times more deaths in men than prostate cancer,” emphasizes Julie Brahmer, M.D., an assistant
professor at Hopkins’s Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Care Center. More...
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| Sleep Apnea's Multiple Health Risks
It’s well established that sleep apnea—characterized
by repeated episodes of breathing cessation and partial awakening during sleep—contributes to daytime fatigue. Now,
experts are beginning to realize that sleep apnea can have more serious consequences as well. Fortunately, treatment for
sleep apnea (including lifestyle measures, weight loss, and More...
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| Three Effective Steps for Relief of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
When taken together, chronic bronchitis and emphysema—two
distinct conditions known collectively as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—are the fourth leading cause
of death in the United States, after heart disease, cancer, and stroke. As many as 16 million Americans have been diagnosed
with COPD. Experts estimate another 16 million have the condition without knowing it. More...
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| Exercise Testing, Measurement of Blood Gases, and Sleep Studies to Help Diagnose Lung Disease
If you are experiencing symptoms related to a lung disease you
will first need to provide a medical history and undergo a physical examination. Your doctor may then recommend other tests
that can provide complementary. Exercise Testing Exercise testing using a treadmill or stationary bicycle also can be
used to evaluate shortness of breath and to determine whether it is caused by a lung problem, heart More...
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| Pulmonary Function Tests for Lung Disease
Just as people with high blood pressure or diabetes need measurements
of blood pressure and blood glucose, respectively, people with lung diseases need tests of their pulmonary function. Pulmonary
function tests measure lung capacity and reveal patterns characteristic of particular lung diseases. A person’s
measurements are compared with those expected for a healthy person of the same age, height, and gender. More...
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| Chest Imaging for Lung Disease
If you are experiencing symptoms related to a lung disease you
will first need to provide a medical history and undergo a physical examination. Your doctor may then recommend other tests
that can provide complementary. A chest x-ray may reveal an abnormality that clearly explains the respiratory problem
or More...
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| Laboratory Tests to Diagnose Lung Disease
If you are experiencing symptoms related to a lung disease you
will first need to provide a medical history and undergo a physical examination. Your doctor may then recommend other tests
that can provide complementary. Routine blood tests may show a low hemoglobin level (anemia), which might help explain
a patient’s shortness of breath or suggest a chronic condition (such as lung More...
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| Diagnosing Lung Disease
If you are experiencing symptoms related to a lung disease you
will first need to provide a medical history and undergo a physical examination. Your doctor may then recommend other tests
that can provide complementary. In addition to blood tests, chest imaging and pulmonary function tests are two other More...
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| Avoiding Environmental Triggers for Asthma
Even people whose asthma is well controlled with medication can
experience symptoms if they are exposed to allergens—substances that can cause airway inflammation in susceptible
people. Pollen, dust mites, animal dander, and mold are examples of allergens; they may trigger asthma in people allergic
to these substances. Irritants, however, can worsen symptoms in all asthma sufferers. They include smoke, air pollution,
strong odors, and cold air. It’s not possible to completely eliminate allergens and irritants, but you can take the
following steps to minimize your exposure to them. More... | Go Back to Articles
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