Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for a couple of conditions caused by irreversible damage to the lungs and resulting in breathing problems. Many people live with the condition for years before it is diagnosed, because they dismiss early symptoms until they become worse. The main cause of COPD is smoking or second hand smoking.

COPD affects around 1.2 million people in the UK, so it is fairly common. COPD usually affects older adults, but symptoms may start to appear around the mid-30s. There are COPD treatments available to help reduce symptoms of COPD, but there are no cures available. COPD may affect life expectancy, but people live for many years with the condition. It does affect a person’s daily life to some degree, but everyone experiences it to different levels. COPD often progresses in stages, and during later stages, the condition can be quite challenging. There are ways to live well with the condition though and enjoy a high quality of life and wellbeing. For more information on COPD, visit the NHS website.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is caused by narrowing of the lung’s airways, which reduces the function of the lungs.

Lungs have a crucial job in the body – to take in breaths containing oxygen. Every cell in the body needs oxygen to function. Oxygen is then carried by the blood to the heart. The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood round the body through arteries. When the body works, the cells release carbon dioxide which our bodies do not need, so this is carried back through the veins to the lungs to be breathed back out.

The British Lung Foundation provides an explanation of how your lungs work.

Smoking any type of tobacco is confirmed as one of the biggest causes of COPD. This is because tobacco contains toxic chemicals, poisons and tar which not only damage the tiny cilia in the lungs but which are also distributed around the body, causing damage.

Inhaling chemicals or certain types of dust may also cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease e.g. working in coal mines during the 20th century has left many ex-miners in the UK with COPD.

There is evidence that COPD runs in families, suggesting that genes may cause the disease, but this affects very few people out of the millions who have the condition. It is likely that smoking habits run through generations of families, resulting in multiple family members developing a smoking related illness such as COPD, which may make it appear as though COPD is hereditary.

The NHS explores what causes COPD.

Some people find that their symptoms get worse over time but treatments are available to help reduce the impact of symptoms on a person’s life and wellbeing.

The NHS provides information on symptoms and the British Lung Foundation covers the COPD symptom of breathlessness in great detail.

If you are concerned about any of the COPD symptoms listed in this guide, you should visit your GP. Many symptoms such as breathlessness, may be a result of other conditions and are not necessarily COPD. Anxiety for example, may cause breathlessness. Keeping a diary of symptoms can help your GP to understand any triggers and may help reach a diagnosis more quickly.

If you present with any of these symptoms, your GP is likely to listen to your breathing and ask if you are a smoker or have ever smoked. If they suspect you may have a lung condition, they may refer you for further tests which are likely to be carried out at a hospital, including for example a spirometry test and chest x-ray. These tests will try to find out if your lungs are working as they should, if you have any infections present, and your oxygen levels are adequate. You are likely to be seen by a chest specialist.

The British Lung Foundation provides a guide to getting the best from your doctor, with a range of questions you may wish to ask when you visit your GP or any other medical professionals.

Read on to find out more about treatments for COPD that can help relieve symptoms, as well as things you may need to consider if you are living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

How well you are able to live with heart disease will depend upon the severity of your symptoms and how effective treatment is for you. Everybody living with coronary heart disease will have a different experience. If you are willing and able to change your lifestyle by quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, your symptoms may be aCOPD affects everybody differently – some people are affected more severely, or earlier on in life than others. Some people find that by taking care of themselves, quitting smoking, eating well and getting exercise, their symptoms are reduced and they have an excellent quality of life and sense of wellbeing. COPD does not have to stop you doing what you love to do, and many people find ways to socialise, enjoy family life, participate in hobbies, travel, etc.

Some people may find that COPD creates challenges in their day to day life and activities; for example, some people with a severe case of COPD may find their legs swell and, combined with their breathlessness, their mobility is affected by this. There are products for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, called daily living aids, which may help you undertake daily chores and tasks independently. If you are finding daily tasks have become more difficult due to your condition, speak to your local social services team who may be able to refer you for an assessment by an Occupational Therapist (OT). An OT may be able to recommend adaptions to the way you do activities, or ways to change your home environment to make life a little easier. They may also be able to recommend daily living aids that may make daily tasks easier.

It may help to read stories from other people experiencing COPD themselves or who have family with the condition. These stories highlight the many different experiences of people with the condition, from those who are able to manage their condition well with a healthy lifestyle, to others who have supported loved ones through the disease to the end of life.

The NHS provides information on living with COPD, including breathing techniques to control breathlessness, ways to look after yourself, as well as practical matters such as financial support and travel.

My Lungs, My Life also provides tips for daily living and how to adapt the way you do things to help make life easier.manageable and you are likely to have a good quality of life. Many people with heart disease find that treatment gives them a new lease of life and alleviates their heart disease symptoms, reducing their risk of having a heart attack.

It may help to read stories from other people living with heart disease and conditions affecting the heart, to see how they cope with challenges that their condition presents.

There is no cure for COPD, but there are drug and surgical treatment options available. These can help manage symptoms and reduce the impact of the condition on a person’s life.

Some people who have severe COPD, either during temporary flare-ups or permanently, may require medication to be delivered through a mask or mouthpiece, using a nebuliser.

Some people may also require oxygen to be delivered into their lungs, which is usually at a serious stage of COPD where the person is not getting enough oxygen through breathing. In this case, a person requires an oxygen tank for a large portion of the day, which they breathe in through a face mask or mouthpiece.

The NHS provides a lot of information about all COPD treatments including specific information about lung transplants.

If you have COPD and are a smoker, you will be advised to quit smoking. This is really important and will help stop further damage to your lungs and help slow down how quickly COPD progresses. Some people wrongly believe that there is no point stopping smoking if they have already got a lung condition, but this is absolutely not true. Most people report a reduction of symptoms when they stop smoking, and quitting can increase your life expectancy. There is a lot of support for people looking to quit smoking, including medications and access to ‘stop smoking advisers’ who can provide guidance to groups of people or individuals. For more advice on how to quit smoking, visit the NHS Stop Smoking webpage.

The British Lung Foundation website features a story from an ex-smoker who regrets not giving up much sooner, read ‘I quit smoking – here are 6 reasons you should too’.

If COPD is affecting what you are able to do during your daily life, for example, if breathlessness is making it difficult for you to get around or you’re fatigued and find standing for long periods difficult, there are products known as “daily living aids” which can help make everyday tasks easier.

At Healthcare Pro, we supply daily living aids that are designed to help people with healthcare conditions or disabilities to continue to live independently and help with tasks they are finding difficult. Many people do not realise that such equipment exists, or they believe using it is ‘giving in’ to their condition. We believe that, just as you would take medication to help relieve symptoms, you can also use daily living equipment to achieve the same thing, meaning your condition will not determine what you can and cannot do.

Below, we list a selection of products that provide support with a variety of daily living activities that some people with COPD may find difficult. Not everybody will need to use daily living aids, but for some people, they can help them remain independent by making life easier.

If you are unsure what products may help you or someone you know, Healthcare Pro has a team of occupational therapist product advisors who can advise you. Contact them on 0345 121 8111 or email productadvice@healthcarepro.co.uk

Eating a healthy, varied and balanced diet is really important, especially if you have a chronic, long-term health condition such as COPD. A healthy COPD diet will help you fight off infections and keep the lungs, heart and the rest of the body working well. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important to ensure that your body, in particular your heart and lungs, is not put under too much strain, which may make symptoms worse.

Drinking at least 8 cups of fluid each day is important too and water is the best source of fluid, but all non-alcoholic drinks count towards this amount. Some people report that their breathlessness affects their ability to eat, and enjoyment of eating. Some people may feel uncomfortable after eating because their breathing difficulties mean they swallow air when they eat. There are lots of tips on how to solve these issues on the British Lung Foundation website, where they discuss lots of aspects of eating well with a lung condition and the Eatwell Guide provides a graphical explanation of what constitutes a healthy diet.

If you have received a diagnosis of COPD, you are likely to be advised to exercise and you may be referred to a pulmonary rehabilitation course. This is an exercise and education programme for people with COPD or similar conditions, through which you undertake fitness classes and learn how to look after your health. It is usually run by a multi-disciplinary team of healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists. Many people report that pulmonary rehabilitation has helped them manage their condition better and encouraged them to undertake regular exercise.

You should aim to do 30 minutes of exercise each day with the aim of getting your heart pumping and making your muscles stronger. A physiotherapist may be able to devise a programme of exercise that is suitable for you, if you are concerned about exercise making your symptoms worse.

In the long run, exercise may help you manage your symptoms better, as well as making your lungs work better and making you feel emotionally and mentally well. The NHS provides more advice about how to get fit for free, and the British Lung Foundation gives a wealth of information about pulmonary rehabilitation and keeping active with a lung condition.

Many people with COPD are able to work, but some people do find that their symptoms mean they have to reduce their working hours, change jobs, or leave work altogether. This can be a difficult decision to make. The British Lung Foundation provides lots of advice if you find yourself unable to work or if you are interested in understanding what financial support is available to you if you have COPD.

British Lung Foundation Forum – provided by the UK’s leading charity for people affected by lung disease, this forum connects people affected by COPD and other lung conditions to discuss their experiences

COPD Friends for Friends – a Facebook group for people living with COPD or lung problems to connect and share their experiences

British Lung Foundation – the UK’s leading charity supporting people with lung conditions, and fundraising for research, with a website that features lots of information about COPD and other conditions, as well as a helpline and local Breathe Easy support groups

My Lungs My Life – practical advice and information about living with COPD or asthma, including symptoms, treatments, and daily living tips

NARA The Breathing Charity – a UK charity campaigning for people with lung and respiratory conditions, funding equipment such as nebulisers for people that need them

NHS Choices – source of official medical information about causes, symptoms and treatments for COPD