Chronic Cough? It May Be COPD, say Respiratory Therapists
For Immediate Release
IRVING , TX (April 2, 2007) -If you have a cough that you just can't shake, you might have a condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, say respiratory therapists from the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC).
That's especially true for people who smoke or are exposed to the secondhand smoke of others, says Stephen Paganella, RRT, RPFT, RCPT, an AARC member from Lakeland , FL.
“The main cause of COPD is tobacco abuse, including secondhand smoke,” explains the registered respiratory therapist. While noting there are other, less common causes of the condition, such as the lack of a certain enzyme that can cause emphysema (one of the primary components of COPD along with chronic bronchitis), or environmental exposure to toxins, cigarette smoke remains the chief culprit in most cases.
If left untreated, COPD can be deadly. Statistics show it's currently the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. But Paganella says there is much hope for people who are diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. The key, he continues, is to get tested.
“A simple pulmonary function test called spirometry can detect the beginning stage of COPD before you even have any symptoms,” he says. “It is an easy and painless test that takes only a few minutes to perform.”
What if the test shows signs of COPD? Paganella says the first order of business is to quit smoking. Of course, quitting smoking is good advice for anyone, but it's even more important for people with COPD because stopping smoking can limit the lung damage caused by the condition.
“Stopping smoking can always be a benefit,” he says, even for people who may be in the more advanced stages of COPD. “That would be the single most important step in treatment at any stage of the game."
Medicines can help as well, including bronchodilators, anti-inflammatories, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors. “These classes of drugs can treat COPD by either opening up narrowed airways, decreasing inflamed airways, or stopping the mechanism in the body that causes airways to narrow or collapse,” says Paganella. “They can all help improve a person breathing ability.”
One of the best things someone with COPD can do for his or her health is to enroll in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Usually offered in hospitals or outpatient clinics, these programs provide structured exercise and targeted education aimed at improving lung function and helping people understand the condition and how to live with it.
“The program teaches self-care techniques, and goals are set on an individual basis so that each person can work within their capabilities,” says Paganella. “The goals are to decrease the patient's shortness of breath episodes and increase exercise tolerance, thus increasing overall quality of life.”
Family and friends are invited to get involved as well, and most programs include follow up sessions that keep people moving in the right direction when it comes to their lung health.
Respiratory Therapists (RTs) are specially trained and licensed respiratory health care professionals assisting physicians in diagnosis, treatment, and management of respiratory diseases. RTs provide care in hospitals, outpatient centers, physicians' offices, skilled nursing facilities, and patients' homes.
The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) is a not-for-profit, professional organization, consisting of 42,000 respiratory therapists, physicians, and other health care professionals. AARC is dedicated to assisting persons with respiratory diseases receive safe and effective respiratory care.
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Contact: Beth Binkley
Binkley@aarc.org
American Association For Respiratory Care
9425 N MacArthur Blvd, Suite 100 , Irving , TX 75063
972-406-4657, 972-243-2272
Living Well With COPD: Tips from the AARC
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – or “COPD” – doesn't have to be a death sentence, say respiratory therapists from the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). Caught early enough, there are plenty of things people can do to keep the condition from rapidly progressing:
Get tested: If you are a smoker, you are at risk for COPD. Ask your doctor for a spirometry test to measure your lung function.
Quit smoking: This is the number one cause of COPD, and the number one way to keep the disease from getting worse.
Follow doctor's order on taking medications: Many medications can help improve COPD symptoms, but you have to take them as your doctor has prescribed for them to do you any good.
Enroll in a pulmonary rehabilitation program: These programs show people with COPD how to exercise to improve shortness of breath and other symptoms, and they educate people on ways to live well despite the disease.
You can learn much more about COPD on the AARC's consumer web site, www.yourlunghealth.org .
