COPD

About COPD

India is experiencing a continued increase in burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a general term which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, both of which can cause narrowing of the airways and commonly occur together.

Key Facts

  • Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (the airways of the lungs).
  • Emphysema is damage to the smaller airways and airsacs (alveoli) of the lungs.
  • Pulmonary means ‘affecting the lungs’.

Symptoms Of COPD

  • A cough is usually the first symptom to develop, coming and going before gradually becoming more persistent. People often think of their cough as a ‘smokers’ cough’ in the early stages of the disease. It is when the breathlessness begins that people often become concerned.
  • Breathlessness and wheeziness may occur only when you exert yourself at first, for example, when climbing stairs. These symptoms tend to become gradually worse over the years if you continue to smoke, and chest infections are more common.

Main Causes

  • Smoking: The primary risk factor for COPD is chronic tobacco smoking. In the United States, 80 to 90% of cases of COPD are due to smoking. Almost all life-long smokers will develop COPD, provided that smoking-related, extrapulmonary diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer) do not claim their lives first.
  • Occupational exposure: Intense and prolonged exposure to workplace dust found in coal mining, gold mining and the cotton textile industry and chemicals such as cadmium, isocyanates and fumes from welding have been implicated in the development of airflow obstruction, even in non-smokers.
  • Air pollution: Studies in many countries have found that people who live in large cities have a higher rate of COPD compared to people who live in rural areas.

How Salt Can Help

  • Salt is antibacterial, it kills bacteria
  • It reduces inflammation of the airways
  • Salt is mucolytic, which means it helps to shift retained mucus

How The Salt World Can Help

During the Salt Therapy process the overwhelming majority of patients notice a decrease in cough frequency and intensity, and that it’s easier to cough up mucus, which becomes less sticky and changes in its nature.

COPD sufferers find that not only does Salt Therapy bring immediate relief in the shorter, but also delays the frequency of reoccurrence.

Salt Therapy is a clinically proven natural, safe and beneficial method of treatment for every age group. By visiting our Salt Room and breathing in the saline aerosol generated by our machine it can significantly help to:

  • Reduce the need for inhalers, steroids and antibiotics
  • Make your breathing easier after just a few sessions
  • Improve lung function
  • Reduce the number of hospital admissions
  • Alleviate sneezing, coughing, and shortness of breath
  • Clear mucus and sticky phlegm from the lungs
  • Increase the resistance to respiratory tract diseases
  • Strengthen your immune system
  • Prolong remission times

Book a session online right now, or contact us for more information.

What does COPD stand for?

COPD is a lung disease that causes breathing difficulty.This disease restricts the airflow to lungs and hence the problem in breathing.

What COPD does to the lungs?

The COPD disease causes airflow restriction in lungs which in turn makes breathing dificult.Over time this damages the lung bronchial tubes in the lungs and the mucus becomes clogged.

What are COPD symptoms?

COPD symptoms include difficluty in breathing,chest tightness,cough,mucus production,weight loss,tiredness,swelling of foot etc..

When COPD worsens?

Over time,COPD worsens which causes severe breathing difficulty,relatively more lung damage with hard cough with mucus.However early identification of the disease with mild symptoms can be managed with proper treatment.

Are copd and asthma the same?

Asthma and COPD,both are different lung infections.Asthma is characterized by chest tightness and wheezing.But COPD symptoms are long lasting and characterized by cough with mucus.

Are COPD and emphysema the same?

COPD term collectively addresses lung infections like emphysema,chronic bronchitis etc.,These disease have common symptoms like shortness of breathe,tiredness etc..However clinical examination only can bring out the difference.

Are COPD patients immunocompromised?

Immunocompromised is the term used by doctors to refer the immune system that does not work as it should be.Such people are easily prone to infections.COPD progressively affects the lung functions.

Are COPD symptoms worse at night?

Early morning and night are the tough times for COPD patients.Breathing is hard while lying down.That causes chest tightness,uneasy breathing and tiredness.

Can COPD be cured?

Currently there is no cure for COPD.But with proper treatment the symptoms can be controlled and disease is well managed,decraesing the risk of the infections.

Can COPD be reversed?

Since enough damage is done to the lung tissues by COPD,it is difficult to recover on its own.However with the help of a doctor the progression of the disease can be delayed and can lead a normal life.

Are COPD patients CO2 retainers?

Not all the patients with COPD have CO2 retention. At a very later stage of COPD,people get CO2 retention that makes the symptoms severe and may cause respiratory failure.

Are COPD symptoms constant?

Smoking is the major cause of COPD. Symptoms do not show up even after months or years in case of COPD.In most cases symptoms are not shown untill the damage is severe.

Can COPD cause heart failure??

When oxygen levels are low, it causes tension and rise in the blood pressure. In turn makes the pumping of a blood by the heart difficult, sensing pressure at right ventricle causing heart failure.

Can COPD stay mild?

COPD symptoms vary from mild to severe depending on your lifestyle, habits and the amount of chemicals you inhale. When diagnosed early,mild stage COPD can be managed with the proper treatment.

Can COPD be hereditary?

More likely if the adult in the family has COPD, it is possible for the offspring to carry the disease.COPD may be due to genetic reasons or lifestyle problems.

How COPD affects daily life?

With COPD advancing with every stage,the oxygen level in the body depletes.It weakens the body parts and the overall stamina of the system thus affecting the day-to-day activities of a person.

Can COPD cause a swollen belly?

COPD also causes many stomach related problems like bloating and gas problem.Stomach protrusion or tightness makes it difficult to eat hence there's lack of nutrition for the person affected

Can COPD cause chest pain?

COPD causes many functional and structural changes in the lungs,which causes chest tightness.Due to lung tissue damage the person affected suffers from breathing difficulty and pain in the chest.

How COPD is diagnosed?

When you have a spirometry test, you blow into a large tube connected to a machine to measure how much air you can hold and how quickly you can expel it.It is the basic diagnosis method for COPD detection.

How COPD affects the lungs?

As a result of COPD, your lungs are inflamed and thickened, and the tissue that exchanges oxygen is destroyed.This decreases the amount of oxygen you get from the air you breathe.Due to this, less oxygen reaches your tissues, making it harder to expel waste gases such as carbon dioxide.

How COPD affects the body?

COPD causes wheezing, weakness, tiredness and shaky feeling.Over all it reduces a person's normal health and makes him unable to do his daily work.Some people experience anxiety and depression.

How COPD develops?

Unrepairable damages are caused due to COPD with smoking, inhaling hazardous substances etc., Air pollutions in the city,chemical products damage your lungs. Constant exposure to harmful things develops COPD.

How COPD affects gas exchange?

Gas exchange is affected in people with COPD because the damaged air sacs do not allow oxygen to enter the lungs. In some cases tiny air packets, bullae are formed in the lungs which do not support the gas exchange.

When COPD is life threatening?

When there is a flare up for COPD persons,it is an emergency and immediate needs hospitalization.In addition to the normal symptoms hypertension, heart disease also pose a threat for people with COPD.

How COPD causes pulmonary hypertension?

The blood capillaries in the lungs are the thickened and constricted due to COPD that causes hypertension when there is a blood flow through the lungs. This in turn affects regular sleep, daily activities of the people.

COPD,When to take antibiotics?

Persons with severe COPD flare ups can take antibiotics.People with mild copd also get cured with antibiotics. Misuse of antibiotics results in danger.

COPD, When is oxygen needed?

Final stage of COPD requires a lot of oxygen since the breathing difficulty is severe at this stage. This difficulty in breathing is much noticed during sleeping.

Which is worse COPD or asthma?

Asthma and COPD are chronic illnesses that affect lungs. Asthma can be managed with proper treatment whereas COPD gets worse over time.

What percent of the population has COPD?

3.6 percent of the adult population tend to report this illness. It is commonly prevalent among the people in the age of 40 and 50 who are smokers.

Why COPD patients lose weight?

Patients with COPD requires 10 times more energy than the normal people because of their breathing problem. Also the wheezing and cough causes loss of appetite.

Why COPD is irreversible?

COPD causes permanent lung damage which cannot be reversed.It causes constrictions on the airways to the lungs which in turn causes breathing difficulty and tiredness.

Why does COPD cause cor pulmonale?

Chronic lung disorders cause high blood pressure on the heart's right side which induces pulmonary hypertension,which is called cor pulmonale.This condition leads to the development of several autoimmune illnesses.

Will COPD show up on X-ray?

A chest X-ray alone cannot confirm the presence of the chronic lung disorder,COPD.Doctor performs a detailed examination of your related symptoms.However the X-ray shows lung damage if any.

Will COPD go away?

COPD will not go away on it own. With proper treatment and lifestyle changes the disease can be contained and can avoid the progress of the illness.

COPD for non-smokers

Smoking is not the only cause of COPD.Long term exposure to hazardous chemicals,air pollution are some of the other causes.Passive smokers are also mostly affected by COPD.

COPD for smokers

Smoking causes release of numerous hazardous chemical that in due time weakens your immune system and damages your airways that contributes to pulmonary lung disease. The only solution to increase the quality of life for COPD patients is to quit smoking.

COPD is a combination of which two diseases?

COPD includes two diseases mainly have emphsyma and chronic bronchitis.Both are prevalant in a patient or either one is dominant.However both are characterized by different symptoms.

COPD, is there a cure?

There is no cure for the obstructive airway disease but with certain lifestyle changes you can manage and control the symptoms.That includes breathing exercise on a regular basis, nutritious food intake, avoid smoking, consulting a doctor frequently.

Is COPD terminal?

COPD is not a terminal illness but it gets tough over years to treat the same. However identifying it at the mild stage can stop the progression of the disease.

COPD with covid

People with the pulmonary lung disease are at high risk when infected with the covid-19. People with the lung infections take time to recover and suffer than the people without the illness.

COPD with asthmatic features

COPD and asthma both cause breathing difficulty.When both are identified for the same patient it shows increased risk of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The overlap of asthma over COPD symptoms needs a separate treatment plan identified by the doctors.

COPD without cough

Some cases include both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Patients with CB show the symptom of shortness of breath more than a cough. Hence there are chances that the person with COPD can go without cough as well.

COPD with acute exacerbation

An acute exacerbation of COPD damages the lungs. The acute exacerbation symptoms worsens the patient's conditions further.However exacerbation treatment minimizes the complications.

COPD without mucus

In some cases,COPD show only the shortness of breath in which case the mucus does not accompany the cough. However the disease can be identified by the persistence of other related symptoms.

COPD without symptoms

It is possible for a long period the symptoms does not show up for the patient with COPD,till the age of 40 or 50.But the lung injury is possible without indication of any symptoms.

COPD vs bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is mostly caused due to infection whereas COPD results due to smoking, pollution etc., It is to be noted that the COPD patients get bronchiectasis as a side effect.

COPD and heart failure

Lungs are very badly affected by COPD that causes the rise in pressure of the arteries which are highly dangerous causes pressure for the blood to be pumped to the lungs. which in turn causes heart failure also called cor pulmonale.

COPD assessment test

COPD assessment test are a set of questions formulated for the patience to answer to get a better diagnosis of the COPD condition.It is an approved method for symptom analysis and risk calculation.

COPD breathlessness

Shortness of breath is caused for COPD patients because of the mucus blockage in the airways.This causes chest tightening hence the people with COPD suffer a lot even to perform normal activities.

COPD breathing exercises

Deep breathing definitely helps the COPD patients feel better.Inhale,hold the breath for 5 counts,exhale slowly.This increases the breathing capacity of the lungs.Diaphragm breathing is best for people for COPD.

COPD cough

People suffering from COPD has cough as the major symptom.It can be both dry or a mucus cough. Frequent coughs disturbs the daily activity of a person. The cough lasts for months or years but when treated properly can be controlled.

COPD causes

The major cause of COPD is due to the exposure of harmful chemicals that include smoking, tobacco pollution and others.These chemical substances harm your lungs and airways for sure.

COPD diet

People with COPD should eat fibre rich food,protein and carbohydrates. Avoiding sugar foods is better. It is better to stay away from dairy products,fried foods and chocolates.

COPD drugs

For people with the COPD,the first treatment includes bronchodilator inhaler.Other medications include antibiotics and inhaled steroids.

COPD exacerbation

Unusual tiredness, severe cough and wheezing more than normal are causes of COPD flare-up and exacerbation.Some people experience swelling of legs and ankles.

COPD exacerbation treatment

Acute exacerbation treatment includes oxygen supplementation, steroids, antibiotics and others.In extreme cases ventilatory support or also recommended.

COPD exercises

Mild exercise that includes strengthening your breath and resistance is effective for COPD patients.Cycling,skating, aerobic exercises,swimming and stretching increases the oxygen flow.

COPD end stage

COPD end stage is the last stage of COPD in which the patients suffer severe lung damage,poor breathing quality, frequent flare ups and difficulty to do normal activities.

COPD exacerbation symptoms

Lack of energy,swelling of feet,leg and ankle,wheezing,chest tightness, weariness are exacerbation symptoms which needs immediate hospitalization followed by the necessary antibiotics.

COPD fatigue

People with COPD suffer from fatigue due to the irregular or lack of oxygen flow in the body. The oxygen flow is affected due to the damage in the airsacs of the lungs.

COPD in children

It is very uncommon for a child to detect with COPD.The symptoms begin to appear only at the age of 40 years even in the case of adults.

COPD joint pain

Plenty of health issues are reported for patients with COPD. There is a lack of oxygen flow in the body, depression, pain, anxiety and muscle dysfunction.

COPD kidney failure

People with COPD are more likely to suffer renal malfunction than who or not.The high internal pressure cardiac outputs in the poor renal vascular resistance. Nicotine consumption also affects renal health.

Daytime sleepiness with COPD

Due to the breathing difficulty and cough,sleeping at night is disturbed for COPD patients and they feel sleepy the whole day.Poor sleep quality is also the reason for daytime sleepiness.

COPD life expectancy

For most of the COPD people, the survival rate is more than 15 years even after diagnosis of the disease. The life expectancy is directly proportional to the age, health and symptoms.When adequately managed,people able to live longer with the disease.

COPD Lungs

With COPD, the lung tissues are damaged and are not able to recover on its own.This in turn reduces the amount of air entering the lungs.Medicine suggested by Doctors however help to reduce the inflammation of the airways.

COPD lung sounds

Wheezing is also the main reason for lung sounds.It is said that the lung sound is a good sign, since the air is moving freely inside the lungs. Coarse crackling sound is also heard in some patients.

COPD mucus

COPD causes too much of mucus and results in cough. Some cough help in removing the mucus whereas some do not. The reason for more mucus is because the number of Goblet cells are higher for the patients.

COPD non-smoker

Non smokers are also affected by COPD. In such case the disease occurs due to pollution in air. Secondhand cigarette smoking is a major pollution causing agent for COPD in non-smokers.

COPD natural treatment

There are plenty of natural treatments for COPD which includes breathing exercise, maintaining of ideal body weight,water based exercise,stretching,yoga,steam therapy etc.,

COPD nebuliser

When inhalers do not help doctors advise the usage of nebulizers for the COPD patients,where the liquid medicine is vaporized and reaches the lungs and treats the air sacs.

COPD oxygen level

COPD definitely causes a dip in the oxygen level of the body which in turn causes multiple diseases and fatigue.Ideal oxygen level is between 88% to 92%.When there is a variation it is better to consult a doctor always.

COPD prognosis

Prognosis for COPD for a Mild stage or stage 1 case favors the patients and when treated properly the conditions or under control. It also prevents from worsening of the disease and helps to improve the breathing and the patient stay strong.

Does quitting smoking repair lung damage?

Quitting smoking definitely helps in improving the conditions of the COPD patients.The symptoms like shortness of breath and chest tightness are handled good.Functioning of the lungs improve well.

COPD phlegm

Patients with COPD cough a lot due to the generous production of mucus. Some cough help the patients to remove the mucus whereas some do not. The mucus also creates shortness of breath and cough.

COPD quality of life

The quality of life for COPD patients decreases as the disease progress.The disease refrains you from doing your daily activities.However proper diet and healthy habits keep you in good pace.

COPD rescue pack

A COPD rescue pack has a bunch of steroids and antibiotics handy and is kept at home for using when the patient has acute exacerbation. The Pack must be strictly used by the patient alone and not for any other reasons by others.

COPD risk factors

Pollutants in the air, exposure to secondhand smoke, chemicals dust and genetic reasons are all the risk factors of COPD.

COPD respiratory failure

COPD at its end stage causes respiratory failure due to the chest wall abnormality and the weakness of respiratory muscles.But can be treated with the initial hospitalization.

COPD symptoms in older adults

COPD symptoms in older adults mainly cause functional impairment.Since the patients are very weak physically there are chances of fractures causing some disabilities.

COPD types and stages

The two main types of COPD are Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema.Emphysema patients have the disease worsens with time. Whereas chronic bronchitis is characterized with a prolonged cough.The stages of COPD ranging from mild to severe the illness increases along with every stage.

COPD treatment ladder

When COPD diagnosis is confirmed by spirometry, clinicians begin more appropriate treatment for the same.The first line of COPD treatment recommended is usually short-acting bronchodilators.

COPD umbrella term

Both Chronic bronchitis and emphysema lead to COPD disease. The progression of obstructive lung disease may be slow but definitely induces breathing difficulties.

An untreated COPD

Heart problems are caused by untreated COPD lung disease.For COPD patients,when leaving the condition untreated,its tough to regain the normal health.

COPD vs emphysema

When you are detected with emphysema,it is understood that you already have COPD signs and symptoms.Symptoms of COPD and emphysema are same.

COPD vs lung cancer symptoms

Coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath are commonly detected among COPD and the lung cancer patients.Symptoms of emphysema can often overlap chronic pulmonary disease.

COPD yellow skin

Skin redness is an indication of pulmonary disease and is caused by congested capillaries.Your skin turns yellow or grey with severe copd causing sleeping and eating problem.

Success Stories

“I have had COPD for a number of years and recently I have had to take antibiotics more and more. I have also been using an inhaler much more than I should. After my second visit it was clear that the inhaler use had been cut by about 70%. Only time will tell about the antibiotics. I was more than satisfied.”
– Edward K.