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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can’t be cured, but most cases can be prevented if you stop (or never start) smoking. At Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC, Andrew R. Freedman, MD, and Gichel Watson, RPAC, specialize in preventing and treating COPD. They operate two offices in Monroe, New Jersey, and Evanston, Wyoming. However, you can get the proactive medical care you need for COPD through telemedicine. To schedule a telemedicine appointment, call or connect online today.
COPD is a lifelong lung disease that causes chronic inflammation, narrowed airways, and lung damage. These progressive changes make it increasingly hard to breathe.
The two most common COPD conditions include:
Emphysema occurs when air sacs are damaged. Air sacs are the tiny structures in your lungs that send oxygen into and take carbon dioxide out of your bloodstream. When the sacs are damaged by COPD, they collapse, keeping oxygen in your lungs (depriving organs of the oxygen they need) and trapping dangerous carbon dioxide in your body.
Chronic bronchitis develops when inflammation damages the structures that usually move mucus out of your airways. As a result, excessive mucus builds up and causes a chronic cough.
COPD develops over time as you inhale irritating gasses and particles. The top cause by far is smoking cigarettes. Though less common, you can get COPD from other sources, including air pollution, secondhand smoke, chemical fumes, and smoke from burning fuels.
The symptoms of COPD include:
The first sign of chronic bronchitis is a mucus-producing cough, while shortness of breath is usually the earliest symptom of emphysema.
Any existing lung damage can’t be reversed, but with proactive medical care from Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC most people can keep their symptoms well controlled.
The team creates a customized, integrative treatment plan that meets your unique health needs. After diagnosing your COPD, they teach you about the disease and suggest lifestyle steps you can take to slow disease progression.
If you smoke cigarettes, the first critical step is to quit smoking. Your provider may prescribe medication or recommend nicotine replacement or behavioral therapy.
Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC recommends treatments to ease your COPD symptoms and maintain optimal lung function. You may need steroids to reduce inflammation or inhaled bronchodilators that relax your airways, relieve coughing, and make breathing easier.
If you have moderate or severe COPD, you will also need lung therapies such as oxygen therapy or pulmonary rehabilitation. These treatments help you stay active and improve your quality of life.
If you need help with COPD, call Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group, LLC or go online to request a telemedicine appointment today.