Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:

• Chest pain
• Coughing up blood

These conditions can lead to:

• Chest infections
• Condition is generally worsening as exposed to causes.
• Depression
• Decreased fat-free mass
• Impaired systemic muscle function
• Osteoporosis
• Anaemia
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Cor pulmonale- abnormal enlargement of the right side of the heart as a result of disease of the lungs or the pulmonary blood vessels. symptoms include ankle and/or body swelling and/or cyanosis (purple lips and/or bluish discoloration to your hands or feet) due to low oxygen levels in the blood.
• Left-sided heart failure
• Change in mental state
• Memory loss

One can have a combination of obstructive and restrictive conditions

Results:

• Diagnosis and tests to determine respiratory disease obstructive and restrictive lung conditions:

For further information visit:

• Verywell Health

Inhaler Technique

If condition is worsening consider the reasons below:

• A big concern in COPD is the use of inhalers : many develop a poor inhaler technique , always check with your pharmacist your inhaler technique.

Tips when undertaking inhaler technique:

• How often do you use your blue inhaler (more one uses, more poor control)?
• Do you taste your medication (press your MDI inhaler to early)?
• Do you feel a hit at the back of your throat (inhaling in too sharply/strongly)?
• Mouth coated in powder (not inhaling strong enough)?
• Spacer makes a whistling noise  (inhaling too strongly)?

According to the 2018 GOLD guidelines,

Prevention and maintenance therapy recommendations are as follows:

• Smoking cessation is key.
  • Pharmacotherapy and nicotine replacement increase long-term smoking abstinence rates, as do legislative bans on smoking.
  • The effectiveness and safety of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid are uncertain.
• Pharmacologic therapy can reduce the symptoms of COPD, reduce the severity and frequency of exacerbations, and improve exercise tolerance and health status.
• Pharmacologic treatment regimens should be individualized. They should be guided by symptom severity; exacerbation risk; adverse effects; comorbidities; drug availability and cost; and patient response, preference, and ability to utilize the various drug delivery devices.
• Inhaler technique should be assessed regularly.
• Pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations decrease the incidence of lower respiratory tract infections.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation improves symptoms, physical and emotional participation in everyday activities, and quality of life.
• Patients with severe resting chronic hypoxemia have improved survival with long-term oxygen therapy.
• In patients with stable COPD and resting or exercise-induced moderate desaturation, routine long-term oxygen treatment is not recommended; however, consider individual patient factors regarding the need for supplemental oxygen.
• In patients with stable COPD, combinations of short-acting beta₂-agonists and short-acting antimuscarinics are superior to either type of medication alone improving FEV₁ and symptoms.
• Long-acting antimuscarinics have a greater effect on exacerbation reduction compared with long-acting beta₂-agonists and decrease hospitalizations.
• In patients with severe chronic hypercapnia and a history of hospitalization for acute respiratory failure, long-term non-invasive ventilation may prevent rehospitalization and decrease mortality.
• Selected patients with advanced emphysema refractory to optimized medical care may benefit from surgical or bronchoscopic interventional treatments.
• In advanced COPD, palliative approaches are effective in controlling symptoms.

This condition may show similar symptoms to:

• Anaemia
• Asthma
• Bronchiectasis
• Heart failure
• Lymphangioleiomyomatosis
• Tuberculosis
• Cor pulmonale- abnormal enlargement of the right side of the heart as a result of disease of the lungs or the pulmonary blood vessels. symptoms include ankle and/or body swelling and/or cyanosis (purple lips and/or bluish discoloration to your hands or feet) due to low oxygen levels in the blood.
• Lung cancer

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice