HealthDuties

Apart from the medications prescribed by a medical practitioner, no over-the-counter drug is advised for treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Oxygen therapy has seen some advancement. It will be prescribed with a flow rate mentioned in liters per minute. It can be used in gas cylinders that are handy to carry or as a liquid form in vessel with very cool liquid that gets converted to gas on exposure. Oxygen concentrator is an electrically operated apparatus that takes out O2 from atmosphere, concentrates it and stores it. It is economic but requires its own power supply.

Another technique for treating COPD is to clear the chest using physiotherapy. Steam is inhaled followed by some vibration/shaking and single-hand clapping on chest wall to loosen the secretions. This is then followed by deep breathing (sniffing action by nose to inhale and ballooning by mouth to exhale passively) and coughing voluntarily. Deep inhalation is required for coughing. Secretions are taken out and deep breathing follows.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease in which the lungs are damaged, making it a tiresome job for the patient to breath in and out effectively. The airways branch out like an inverted tree with small air sacs (balloon-like) at the end of each branch known as alveoli. Normally they are pliable and springy in nature. It helps in balloon-like inflation & deflation of lung tissue while breathing in and out respectively. COPD causes lungs to lose this elasticity and become flaccid so the amount of air that can go in and out decreases. More mucus secretion, inflamed wall thickening and lost elasticity contribute to this inefficiency.

Smoking is the main and most common cause of COPD while inhaling other types of irritant substances like: pollutants, chemicals, metals or dust also leads to the condition.

The very first symptom is often coughing sputum. Bronchitis is one part of the disease resulting in thickened and inflamed walls with mucus production. Coughing is the outcome. Emphysema is another part involving the collapse of the alveoli which affects the process of gas exchange. It results in dropped blood O2 levels and then CO2 is raised causing acidosis.