Knowing how your chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis may progress can help you manage your condition and communicate with your doctors. The group of related lung conditions called COPD causes airway blockage and trouble breathing. COPD is progressive, which means that the condition will continue to develop, causing more severe symptoms over time. Doctors…
Keeping your lungs healthy is essential to feeling your best. Yet, common factors, including exposure to cigarette smoke and environmental toxins, as well as eating an inflammatory diet, can take a toll on this pair of important organs. What’s more, common conditions, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis, can significantly…
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for a group of chronic (long-term) lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These lung conditions make it difficult to expel air from the lungs. COPD is progressive. This means it gets worse over time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 15.7…
Fewer acute exacerbations, and better lung function were seen with a year of regular use People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may experience fewer acute disease exacerbations if they regularly use noninvasive ventilation at night, a small study in Greece reported. “Good” nighttime use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a…
Those who smoke are much more likely to develop symptoms of COPD, but secondhand smoke can also be the cause. Treatments are available; in some cases, your lung tissue can regenerate. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of diseases that impact the health of your lungs and your ability to breathe….
Many people with COPD have anxiety, for a variety of reasons. When you have trouble breathing, your brain sets off an alarm to warn you that something is wrong. This can cause anxiety or panic to set in. Anxious feelings may also arise when you think about having a progressive lung disease. You may worry about experiencing an…
If you’ve ever tried to quit vaping, then you know how challenging it can be. Although research published in July 2022 in JAMA Network Open found a slight decrease in the overall e-cigarette, or vaping, users, daily e-cigarette use by current users rose from 34.5% in 2017 to 44.4% in 2020. The daily usage is likely linked…
If you’ve been living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for a long time, you may have experienced exacerbations or sudden flare-ups of respiratory symptoms. Symptoms of breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing are indications of COPD exacerbations. Without quick and careful treatment, these symptoms could make it necessary to seek emergency treatment. COPD flares can be frightening and uncomfortable, but their…