Chronic lung disease, sometimes called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a condition that affects millions of Americans every year. However, there are other types of lung diseases that are chronic, including pneumonitis, pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma. Today, our health and wellness experts at RightPath Pain & Spine Centers in Davenport, FL are taking a closer look at this type of condition, including the signs of the condition.
What Are the Signs of Chronic Lung Disease?
One of the most common signs of chronic lung disease is shortness of breath. In the early stages of the disease, this symptom may only be present during physical activity. However, as the disease progresses, this sign of COPD may be present even at rest. Another common sign of chronic lung disease is a persistent cough. This chronic coughing may last for weeks or months, and it often produces mucus or phlegm.
Furthermore, ongoing respiratory difficulties can lead to fatigue. Moreover, people who suffer from chronic lung disease often experience wheezing and chest tightness. Additionally, you may suffer from chronic pulmonary disease if you experience recurrent respiratory infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Chronic pulmonary disease can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to infectious illnesses.
What Causes COPD?
The most common cause of COPD is smoking tobacco products, like cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. This is due to the harmful chemicals in tobacco products irritating and inflaming the airways. However, chronic lung disease can also be caused by other factors, including prolonged exposure to certain harmful environmental substances. For instance, you may develop this condition if you are often exposed to:
- Industrial pollutants
- Chemical fumes
- Air pollution
- Secondhand smoke
Furthermore, over time, poorly controlled asthma can cause irreversible lung damage, leading to COPD. Additionally, genetic factors can contribute to the development of COPD. For example, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can predispose people to early-onset COPD.
What Are the Risk Factors for Developing COPD?
There are several risk factors for developing COPD. The most significant risk factor is cigarette smoking, and the more often you smoke, the higher your risk of developing the disease. Furthermore, certain occupations, such as agriculture, construction, mining, and manufacturing, increase the risk of developing this disease.
Additionally, repeated respiratory infections, especially during childhood or early adulthood, can cause significant lung damage, increasing the risk that you develop chronic pulmonary disease significantly. There are also immutable risk factors. For example, your risk of COPD increases significantly with age, especially after the age of 40. As another example, men are more likely to develop this disease than women.
What Can I Do to Mitigate the Risk of Developing COPD?
The best thing you can do to reduce your risk of developing this disease is to not smoke. If you’re a smoker, try to quit, and try to cut back on your smoking as much as possible if you can’t smoke. Additionally, you should minimize your exposure to secondhand smoke and wear adequate PPE if you are exposed to environmental pollutants at work.
Furthermore, you should reduce indoor air pollution by ensuring there is adequate ventilation in your home. Also, you should avoid using products that contain lung irritants, like harsh cleaning chemicals or aerosol sprays. Moreover, you can reduce your risk of COPD by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Getting at least 2.5 hours of cardio weekly strengthens your lungs and cardiovascular system. Additionally, you should stay hydrated and eat nutritiously.
What Complications May Arise From This Disease?
Many complications can arise from COPD. One of the most common complications is malnutrition. People who struggle to breathe and suffer from fatigue often find that they don’t have the energy to prepare or eat nutritious food. Additionally, COPD can increase the risk of respiratory infections, like bronchitis and pneumonia. Furthermore, in the advanced stages of COPD, respiratory failure can occur. Moreover, if you have COPD, you may develop pulmonary hypertension.
This can eventually lead to right-sided heart failure. Additionally, it is not uncommon for people with COPD to experience a significant decrease in their emotional well-being. For example, living with the symptoms of COPD can result in such mental health conditions as depression and anxiety. COPD can also lead to heart disease, lung cancer, and heart attacks.
How Is This Condition Diagnosed?
There are several tests that can diagnose COPD. Sometimes, a chest X-ray is recommended. This imaging test is helpful for ruling out heart failure or other conditions that may be causing your symptoms. Additionally, it can detect emphysema, one of the most common causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A CT scan is another helpful imaging test that can identify emphysema. This scan is also an effective lung cancer screening method.
An arterial blood gas analysis is another effective diagnostic test if you suspect you suffer from chronic pulmonary disease. This blood test identifies how effectively your lungs deliver oxygen to your blood and remove carbon dioxide. Additionally, lung function tests, like spirometry, can help to diagnose chronic pulmonary disease.
How Can This Condition Be Treated?
You can improve chronic lung disease symptoms with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy. The anti-inflammatory properties of stem cells can help to clear the airways of people who suffer from chronic bronchitis. Additionally, it can harness your body’s self-healing abilities, repairing lung tissue damage and improving the symptoms of emphysema.
Before receiving MSC therapy, you need to attend an initial consultation to ensure that this treatment is appropriate for you. During this consultation, we will discuss your medical history and assess the severity of your condition. If you are a good candidate for this treatment, we will harvest mesenchymal stem cells from your bone marrow and process them. After that, they will be administered. Then, we will review your aftercare guidelines with you.
What Else Can I Do to Improve My Condition?
Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your lungs if you suffer from chronic pulmonary disease. Regardless of what other treatments you get for your condition, if you keep smoking, your condition may worsen. If you have tried to quit smoking in the past, talk to your doctor about nicotine patches or other smoking cessation tools that you may benefit from.
Additionally, there are several types of drugs that can treat COPD symptoms and complications. Some medications may be taken regularly, while other medications may be taken on an as-needed basis. Some of the most common COPD medications include:
- Short-acting bronchodilators
- Long-acting bronchodilators
- Inhaled steroids
- Combination inhalers
- Oral steroids
- Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors
When Are Inhaled Steroids Appropriate?
Inhaled steroids are generally prescribed to reduce the likelihood of exacerbations and reduce airway inflammation. However, before you get an inhaled corticosteroid, you should talk to your doctor about the side effects of the drug. MSC therapy may be a better fit for you to reduce inflammation in your airways.
Who Could Benefit From Oral Steroids?
You may benefit from oral steroids if you suffer from moderate or severe exacerbations that are not chronic in nature. It is generally considered safe to take short courses of this type of medication. However, you should not take it for more than five days at a time.
What Are the Benefits of Bronchodilators?
Bronchodilators are designed to relax the muscles surrounding the airways. This type of medication usually comes in an inhaler, and it can treat many COPD symptoms, including shortness of breath and coughing.
What If I Have Severe COPD?
MSC therapy is generally recommended for people with mild or moderate chronic pulmonary disease. If you have severe chronic pulmonary disease, you may need other therapies, like oxygen therapy or a pulmonary rehabilitation program.
It is worth noting that in some cases of severe chronic pulmonary disease, surgery is necessary. In cases of severe emphysema, for example, you may need a lung transplant to help you breathe better and maintain a more active lifestyle. Other procedures that are sometimes necessary to treat chronic pulmonary disease include lung volume reduction surgery.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Chronic lung disease symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, and chest tightness. If it is left untreated, it can lead to a number of problems, including malnutrition and recurrent respiratory infections. Fortunately, MSC therapy can help your lungs heal themselves. To find out if MSC therapy can benefit you, contact us now at RightPath Pain & Spine Centers in Davenport, FL to schedule a consultation.