It’s one of the most common, yet widely undiagnosed, untreated diseases in the world.
Millions of people are suffering from an incurable lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They can benefit greatly from treatments and medications that can reduce symptoms, increase lung capacity, keep patients out of the hospital and even prolong their lives.
The challenge is that many of the people who have undiagnosed COPD blame their symptoms on anything but a chronic lung disease. Their shortness of breath, persistent cough, episodic wheezing and general fatigue — all classic COPD symptoms — are caused instead, they say, by their extra weight, lack of exercise and occasional bouts of asthma.
If they’re smokers — and the vast majority are — they may admit that’s not helping their symptoms, but they’re not ready to fully consider something far more serious may be happening. They may say, “I’m just out of shape and have a little smoker’s cough.”
COPD affects nearly 16 million adults in the U.S. alone, and millions more do not know they have the disease. While there’s no exact fix on the number of undiagnosed cases, it is believed that somewhere in the range of 50 percent of COPD cases go undiagnosed.
COPD It is the sixth leading cause of death in the nation. More than half of those diagnosed are women. Between 25 and 30 percent of regular smokers develop COPD, making it the single greatest risk factor by far.
Non-smokers can get it too. COPD tends to run in families, so there are genetic risks. Exposure to airborne pollutants and other environmental factors also may be triggers.
November is COPD Awareness Month, and primary care doctors and pulmonology specialists are urging patients to learn the warning signs of COPD and know that — despite the seriousness of the condition — treatments and drugs are readily available to help them breathe a lot easier.
Typically diagnosed after age 40, COPD essentially is a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs. Emphysema is a separate, but related condition that develops over time and eventually destroys the tiny air sacs inside the lugs where the vital exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.
Some patients have more of the emphysema and less of the bronchitis; some patients have it the other way around. The combination of the two is the crux of the problem.
The symptoms of COPD may be similar to asthma. But unlike asthma, which often can be reversed with proper treatment, COPD is irreversible. The damage is permanent, the airways are partially obstructed and the symptoms will persist unless the patient closely follows the prescription of treatments and drugs recommended by their primary care doctor or a pulmonary specialist.
It begins with a diagnosis. A pulmonary function or breathing test, administered in either a pulmonary lab or the doctor’s office, measures the air flow in and out of the lungs and determines the presence and extent of the disease.
If COPD is diagnosed, treatment begins immediately. Because smoking is so prevalent among COPD sufferers, the course of action may focus heavily on smoking cessation, the use of nicotine patches, gums and special medications that suppress the urge to smoke.
Several types of prescription inhaler and nebulizer mist devices are available to ease breathing for smokers and non-smokers alike. Patients also may be referred to pulmonology rehabilitation programs.
Even if you’re a COPD patient with a long smoking history, while you can’t put all those years of smoking damage completely behind you, you can do a lot to stabilize your condition and lead a much healthier life.
Don’t ignore your symptoms — ask your primary care provider today about COPD.
David Oelberg, M.D., is a pulmonary medicine specialist and also head of the sleep disorders clinic at Berkshire Medical Center.
