Treatment & Prevention Options

Treatment

There is no definitive cure for COPD. It is however possible to minimize some common symptoms and slow down the progress of disease. The first step as part of treatment is to stop smoking. Following medications may be used:

Bronchodilators: Bronchodilators or Inhalers help in opening the airways; they are either short-acting or long-acting bronchodilators. The bronchodilators relax muscles around the airways and help open the airways making breathe easier. Depending on severity, bronchodilators are advised. Short-acting dilators last for 4-6 hours and should be sparingly used. Long-acting dilators last for about 12 hours or more and can be used everyday. Medications include Ipratropium, Tiotropium, Salmeterol, Formoterol or Albuterol.

Inhaled Glucorticosteroids (Steroids): These are used to treat symptoms of COPD flare up cases. They may reduce airway inflammation.

Vaccines:

1. Flu Shots: Influenza or Flu can cause serious problems for those suffering from COPD, thus advance flu shots reduce the risk of flu.

2. Pneumococcal Vaccine: This vaccine reduces the risk of pneumonia and the complications there of for those suffering from COPD.

Surgery: Surgery may benefit in rare cases, it usually is a last resort. Surgeries are generally pertaining to those have symptoms of emphysema.

1. Bullectomy: Larger air spaces called bullae are formed when the walls of air sacs are damaged badly. These bullae interfere in breathing; a surgeon removes one or more large bullae from lungs to enable effortless breathing.

2. Lung Volume Reduction Surgery (LVRS): In this surgery, the damaged tissue is removed from the lungs, thus improving breathing and quality of life.

3. Lung Transplant: In this surgery, the damaged lung is removed and replaced with a healthy lung from a deceased donor. Lung transplantation may improve lung function and quality of life, but it involves high risk of complications such as infections and death due to the body rejecting transplanted lung.

4. Liver Transplantation: Children suffering from COPD due to AAT deficiency may undergo liver transplantation (4) & (17).

Prevention Methods

Some tips to prevent COPD include:
1. Quit smoking or prevent second hand smoke (inhaling others smoke)
2. Avoid chemical fumes.
3. Avoid air pollution.
4. Avoid dust.
5. Avoid exposure to very cold air or weather (7) & (18).

See Also:
COPD: Introduction & Overview
COPD: Symptoms & Stages
COPD: Types & Causes
COPD: Tests and Diagnosis Methods
COPD: Treatment & Prevention Options

Sources
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4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Fact Sheet. American Lung Association, February 2011.
5. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). World Health Organization, Media Centre, November 2011.
6. What Causes COPD?. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, June 2010.
7. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PubMed Health, US National Library of Medicine, May 2011.
8. What Are the Signs and Symptoms of COPD? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, June 2010.
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11. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Medline Plus, A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, From the National Institutes of Health, December 2011.
12. Spirometric Classification. Stages of COPD, COPD International, October 2011.
13. COPD Stages in Four Headings. COPD Stages, www.copdresearch.org.
14. How is COPD Diagnosed? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, June 2010.
15. What are Lung Function Tests? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, June 2010.
16. Types of Lung Function Tests. Breathing Tests, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, June 2010.
17. How is COPD Treated? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, June 2010.
18. How Can COPD Be Prevented? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, June 2010.