Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects many older adults across the United States. COPD is a progressive disease which causes damage to a person’s lungs. A person usually figures it to be “shortness of breath” and ignores it, causing it to progress without treatment. The airways become obstructed making it increasingly difficult to breathe until the body finally wears out.
Symptoms of COPD include:
- Shortness of breath getting increasingly worse
- Chronic Cough: A cough that becomes persistent
- Wheezing/Chest Tightness
- Weight loss: A person can stop eating as much due to shortness of breath.
- Fatigue: Due to the decreased oxygen supply, a person can feel dizzy and tired.
COPD is usually caused from smoking, although a few affected are non-smokers.
Treatment consists of:
- Managing symptoms
- Prevent the disease progression
- Improve health from lifestyle choices
If diagnosed:
- Receive an annual flu shot. The flu can be deadly to patients with COPD.
- Receive a pneumococcal vaccine every five years.