Understanding COPD Drugs and Therapies
The co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema is known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Understanding the symptoms of COPD are crucial to catching it early and doing what is necessary to treat it. Also known as chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), chronic obstructive respiratory disease (CORD), chronic airflow limitation (CAL) and chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), COPD is a condition in which the air pathways of the lungs suffer from constriction. COPD is irreversible and usually gets increasingly worse.
Most patients with COPD suffer from dyspnea. Over time, COPD and dyspnea usually get increasingly worse, with the airflow in the lungs getting progressively lower. In addition to dyspnea, people with COPD may have chest tightness, rapid breathing, exhaustion, enlargement of the chest cavity, exhalation taking longer than inhalation, wheezing, active use of neck muscles to aid in breathing, and a persistent cough and/or mucus production in chronic bronchitis.
Advanced COPD cases can include respiratory failure, causing patients' lips to turn blue from the lack of oxygen in their blood. This lack of oxygen results in an overload of carbon dioxide, which may cause headaches, twitching, and drowsiness. In addition, extra work is required by the heart in order to pump adequate amounts of blood through the affected lungs. This strain on the heart could cause cor pulmonale (right-sided heart failure), resulting in swelling of the ankles and dyspnea. Other symptoms of advanced COPD include weight loss and pulmonary hypertension.
Since lethal gases and asbestos cause COPD, one significant curative action is to cease contact with these toxins. Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of COPD, so smoking cessation is the first step remedial therapy. Rehabilitation, vaccinations, lung transplants, oxygen therapy and drug therapies are the available management strategies for COPD. Phosphodiesterase-4 antagonist drugs roflumilast and cilomilast are currently in clinical trials. The two curative steps that have been proven to reduce COPD mortality rates are smoking cessation and oxygen therapy.
Smoking cessation slows the decline in lung function and delays COPD fatality. Willpower, support groups, nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion and varenicline are the available tools and drugs to aid people to quit smoking. Spreading the knowledge of the dangers of smoking will help smokers to stop smoking and prevent non-smokers from starting to smoke.
(See also: COPD Diagnosis & Tests)
Bronchodilators are drugs inhaled with an inhaler or nebulizer that improve airflow to and from the lungs. They work by relaxing the smooth muscle of the airways so that the airways could widen more easily. Dilating the airways should cure shortness of breath, inability to exercise and wheezing. Bronchodilators improve the quality of life by taking care of symptoms of COPD; they do not cure the underlying illness, and therefore do not slow the rate of disease progression.
The two types of bronchodilators are 2 agonists and anticholinergics. 2 agonists work by relaxing 2 receptors on smooth muscles of the lung airways so that the airways could dilate. Salbutamol (Ventolin) and terbutaline are short-acting 2 agonists. Salmeterol and formoterol are long-acting 2 agonists (LABAs). Anticholinergics work by preventing the cholinergic nerves from stimulating the lung airways, thereby enabling the smooth muscle of the airways to relax and the airways to dilate. Ipratropium is a short-acting anticholinergic and tiotropium is a long-acting anticholinergic.
Corticosteroids have proven to prevent and treat the minor exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe cases of COPD. They can be taken in pill form or they can be inhaled. Corticosteroids have not proven effective in patients with mild cases of COPD. They are linked with increased risk of pnemonia.
In high doses, theophylline is a bronchodilator and phosphodiesterase inhibitor that reduces breathing difficulties for COPD patients. In low doses, theophylline can lower the amount of COPD exacerbations. High doses of this drug cause heart stimulation and nausea.
Most patients with COPD suffer from dyspnea. Over time, COPD and dyspnea usually get increasingly worse, with the airflow in the lungs getting progressively lower. In addition to dyspnea, people with COPD may have chest tightness, rapid breathing, exhaustion, enlargement of the chest cavity, exhalation taking longer than inhalation, wheezing, active use of neck muscles to aid in breathing, and a persistent cough and/or mucus production in chronic bronchitis.
Advanced COPD cases can include respiratory failure, causing patients' lips to turn blue from the lack of oxygen in their blood. This lack of oxygen results in an overload of carbon dioxide, which may cause headaches, twitching, and drowsiness. In addition, extra work is required by the heart in order to pump adequate amounts of blood through the affected lungs. This strain on the heart could cause cor pulmonale (right-sided heart failure), resulting in swelling of the ankles and dyspnea. Other symptoms of advanced COPD include weight loss and pulmonary hypertension.
Since lethal gases and asbestos cause COPD, one significant curative action is to cease contact with these toxins. Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of COPD, so smoking cessation is the first step remedial therapy. Rehabilitation, vaccinations, lung transplants, oxygen therapy and drug therapies are the available management strategies for COPD. Phosphodiesterase-4 antagonist drugs roflumilast and cilomilast are currently in clinical trials. The two curative steps that have been proven to reduce COPD mortality rates are smoking cessation and oxygen therapy.
Smoking cessation slows the decline in lung function and delays COPD fatality. Willpower, support groups, nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion and varenicline are the available tools and drugs to aid people to quit smoking. Spreading the knowledge of the dangers of smoking will help smokers to stop smoking and prevent non-smokers from starting to smoke.
(See also: COPD Diagnosis & Tests)
Bronchodilators are drugs inhaled with an inhaler or nebulizer that improve airflow to and from the lungs. They work by relaxing the smooth muscle of the airways so that the airways could widen more easily. Dilating the airways should cure shortness of breath, inability to exercise and wheezing. Bronchodilators improve the quality of life by taking care of symptoms of COPD; they do not cure the underlying illness, and therefore do not slow the rate of disease progression.
The two types of bronchodilators are 2 agonists and anticholinergics. 2 agonists work by relaxing 2 receptors on smooth muscles of the lung airways so that the airways could dilate. Salbutamol (Ventolin) and terbutaline are short-acting 2 agonists. Salmeterol and formoterol are long-acting 2 agonists (LABAs). Anticholinergics work by preventing the cholinergic nerves from stimulating the lung airways, thereby enabling the smooth muscle of the airways to relax and the airways to dilate. Ipratropium is a short-acting anticholinergic and tiotropium is a long-acting anticholinergic.
Corticosteroids have proven to prevent and treat the minor exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe cases of COPD. They can be taken in pill form or they can be inhaled. Corticosteroids have not proven effective in patients with mild cases of COPD. They are linked with increased risk of pnemonia.
In high doses, theophylline is a bronchodilator and phosphodiesterase inhibitor that reduces breathing difficulties for COPD patients. In low doses, theophylline can lower the amount of COPD exacerbations. High doses of this drug cause heart stimulation and nausea.
