COPD

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DIESEASE (COPD)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is an “umbrella” term for people with chronic bronchitis, emphysema or both.  With COPD the airflow to the lungs is restricted (obstructed). COPD is usually caused by smoking. Symptoms include: cough and breathlessness.  The most important treatment is to stop smoking. Inhalers are commonly used to ease the symptoms.

How can the course of COPD be altered?

STOP SMOKING. This cannot be stressed enough.  If you stop smoking at an early stage of the disease it will make a huge difference.

See your practice nurse, doctor or Pharmacy if you have difficulty in stopping smoking.

What are the treatments for COPD?

At clinic we will consider and review the following treatments: Short acting bronchodilator inhalers – an inhaler with a bronchodilator medicine is often prescribed. These relax the muscles in the airways (bronchi) to open them up (dilate them) as wide as possible.

Long acting bronchodilator inhalers – these include the beta agonists called Formoterol and Salmeterol, and the antimuscarinic called Tiotropium.  They work in a similar way to short acting inhalers, but each dose lasts at least 12 hours.

Sometimes a combination of a short acting and a long acting inhaler is used. Sometimes a combination of both types of long acting inhaler is used.

Steroid Inhaler – a steroid inhaler may help in addition to a bronchodilator inhaler if you have more severe COPD or regular flare-ups (exacerbations) of symptoms. Steroids reduce inflammation.

Bronchodilator tablets – these contain medicines such as theophylline the “open the airways”.

Steroid tablets – a short course of steroid tablets is sometimes prescribed if you have a bad flare-up of wheeze and breathlessness (often during a chest infection).

Mucolytic medicines – a mucolytic medicine such as Carbocisteine or Mecysteine make the sputum less thick and easier to cough up.

Antibiotics – a short course of antibiotics is commonly prescribed if you have a chest infection, or if you have flare-up of symptoms which may be triggered by a chest infection.

Oxygen – may help some people with severe symptoms. It does not help in all cases.

Treatment of flare-ups of symptoms: you may be advised to increase the dose of your usual treatments and/or to add some other treatment for the duration of the flare-up.