How Do You Treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease in which the lungs are damaged, making it hard to breathe. With COPD it is difficult to get air in and out because the tubes that carry air in out of the lungs are partly obstructed.Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of COPD. Breathing in other kinds of irritants, such as pollution, dust or chemicals, may also cause or contribute to COPD. Quit smoking. Patients who continue to smoke have a more rapid deterioration in lung function than those who quit. Not smoking will also slow the progress of the disease. Once a person has quit smoking, the person should avoid being around smokers and polluted air. Smoking and polluted air can irritate the lungs. Take medicine. A doctor may prescribe bronchodilator drugs. Bronchodilators relax the muscles that surround the breathing tubes and widen them, letting air travel in and out more easily. A doctor may also prescribe drugs called corticosteroids, which reduce the swelling in
