COPD Effects - Excessive Production of Mucus
The lining of your airways produces mucus to keep the airways moist and supple. This mucus also flushes the airways of the dust and particles that you breathe in. Some people with COPD produce too much of this mucus which becomes thicker and is coughed up as sputum or phlegm.
Why COPD Causes Mucus to Build Up in the Airways
The reason that the airways over-produce this mucus is because the person has breathed in small particles and dust. This is usually from smoking cigarettes, or less commonly from living in a polluted area or working in a dusty place such as a coal mine.
COPD Effects - Narrowing of the Airways
Your airways are surrounded by muscle that can hold them open or squeeze them, to make them narrow. In COPD these muscles may squeeze your airways a bit too tightly. This makes the airways narrower and makes it more difficult for you to breathe. COPD patients may be prescribed medicines to help keep the airways open.The lining of your airways may become swollen and inflamed. This makes them even narrower and increases breathing difficulty.
Treating the Effects of COPD
Although the damage to your lungs cannot be repaired, the aim of your treatment is to prevent further complications and to make your breathing as easy as possible.COPD is different for each person. It depends which symptoms trouble you most and how severe they are. If you have other medical problems, for example, heart disease or diabetes, it can seem harder to cope and symptoms may feel more severe.
COPD Effects - Lifestyle Changes
COPD affects your lifestyle and that of your family. It is not just breathlessness that affects your life. Tiredness, frustration and depression can all play their part. Seeking a support group or counseling from a licensed psychologist may help dealing with the effects of COPD a little easier.
When the Effects of COPD Begin
In general, people first notice they are having breathing difficulties at around 40 to 50 years of age. You may notice that you feel more out of breath, tired, or have been troubled with chest infections. Many people find that they have had a cough with phlegm for many years, and their breathing has gradually become more difficult. Other people may have had asthma for years and then started to notice that their treatment didn't work as long as it used to.
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Source: Living With COPD
Update: 01/16/06
