COPD How Is It Treated?

COPD How Is It Treated?

As in all other diseases, there are some rules that must be followed in order to be successful in the treatment of COPD. We can list them as follows: not to work or be present in dusty and smoky areas that may harm your health, to take protective measures if it is necessary to be present, and to take regular medication.

Quitting Smoking

COPD treatment begins with “quitting smoking”. If smoking is stopped, the severity of the deterioration in the damaged cells in the bronchi and air sacs slows down. The drugs used cannot prevent the progression of the disease completely. Its main uses are to alleviate shortness of breath and to relieve the patient’s respiratory tract.

A patient who cannot quit smoking should not expect any benefit from drugs. Because drugs can only temporarily prevent shortness of breath. Patients who do not or cannot quit smoking will feel unhealthy every year compared to the previous year and will look for previous years. In case of further progression of the disease in the following years; Even if they wanted to, they would be unable to smoke. In other words, “even if the patient cannot quit smoking, smoking will make the patient quit”. However, at the end of this process, the patient will have difficulty in performing his daily activities. Regrettably, regrets will not help.

There are many medications available to relieve shortness of breath in COPD patients. Some of them are administered by inhalation.

In the treatment, drugs administered to the COPD patient through the respiratory tract are administered with devices that differ from each other with their working methods. The dose of drugs administered through the respiratory tract is quite low. However, since the drugs reach the respiratory tract directly, their effects are quite high. However, in order to be effective, they must be used with the right technique. How to use these devices should be learned very well by the person following the treatment process. In order to minimize the margin of error, use trials should be made in front of the physician during the examination.

In the treatment of COPD, the side effects are also less due to the low dose of the drugs and the very small amount of the drug used in this dose mixes into the blood. Respiratory drugs are not addictive; they do not cause any harm to the teeth and lungs.

Oxygen Therapy

Patients with very advanced disease and very severe COPD have to use oxygen for at least 15 hours every day. With this oxygen therapy, the complaints of people with COPD whose blood oxygen level has fallen below the danger level will both decrease and increase the quality of their daily life. Most of the problems that occur in COPD are caused by the body not getting the oxygen it needs.

These patients cannot use oxygen tubes in the treatment of COPD. The reason for this is that the tubes will run out in a very short time. A device called “oxygen concentrator” is used for patients who will receive long-term oxygen therapy. This appliance does not have a reservoir that needs to be filled. The device can produce oxygen from the ambient air.

This device is offered free of charge to patients with COPD who have social health insurance, with a committee report. It is sufficient to document the disease by performing some tests. Again, in cases with severe COPD and increased carbon dioxide gas in the blood, CPAP and BIPAP devices that pump air from the nose and mouth and regular assisted breathing devices are also used. Patient compliance is of great importance in these treatments. Most patients may feel uncomfortable and unable to comply with this treatment.

What are the Rules to Follow in Oxygen Therapy?

* Oxygen should be taken for at least 15 hours every day.

*Smoking should not be allowed near the oxygen concentrator due to fire hazard.

*The device should be kept away from stoves and similar heating devices.

* Since the oxygen level in the blood will decrease more at night, oxygen should be taken during the sleep period.

* Regular maintenance of the oxygen concentrator should be done.

*Auxiliary measures in treatment should be taken and these should not be neglected.

*The exercises recommended by the physician should be followed and they should not be avoided. Performing too much should also be avoided.

* You should not go out in the weather where there is air pollution and the temperature is low.

* It should be eaten frequently and in small amounts.

* Indigestion and gaseous foods should be avoided.

* Plenty of fluids should be consumed.

*Overweight patients with COPD will suffer more in proportion to their weight. These patients need to take the necessary care to get rid of their excess weight. For this reason, fatty, sweet and floury foods should be avoided.

* Influenza vaccination should be done every year in the autumn months, and crowded places should be avoided during epidemic periods. With the effect of the flu, the disease suddenly becomes more severe and it may be necessary to stay under surveillance in the hospital. For this reason, the habit of kissing on the cheek should be abandoned in order to protect against infection patients.

* In times of shortness of breath, you can exhale by pursing your lips like a whistle after breathing. You can get relief by repeating this frequently.

Lung Cancer

The most important symptoms of lung cancer are persistent cough lasting more than two weeks, gradually increasing and the cause of which cannot be determined, blood in the sputum or dark brown color of sputum, weight loss and anorexia of unknown origin, hoarseness and difficulty in swallowing.

Treatments such as endobronchial laser, electrocautery, argon, cryotherapy applied in lung cancer cases are applied only in straight bronchi, trachea and main bronchi. Therefore, the tumor tissues that fill the inner part of the straight bronchi are cleaned only in the form of small particles, resulting in bronchial opening. With the Resector Balloon Therapy method, the entire bronchial cavity is cleaned all around, 360 degrees, and bronchial patency is provided at the maximum level. It is only possible to achieve the goal of less stent implantation as possible in order to maximize patency in bronchial obstruction in lung cancer and to prevent infections, only with a resector balloon.

The ability to apply the techniques in all of these treatments is of great importance for the health of the patients. The number of pulmonologists who have the same level of experience in rigid bronchoscopy as in flexible bronchoscopy is very few. Therefore, since some other endobronchial techniques require the use of rigid bronchoscopy, it must be acknowledged that the Resector Balloon Method is a developmental movement to inspire nearly three hundred thousand pulmonologists around the world, and an important opportunity to reduce the bad effects of lung cancer. Einstein said, “Knowledge comes from experience; information is not knowledge. The only way to know is to experience. You can discuss a topic, but it only gives you a philosophical understanding. If you want to know a subject, you must experience it.”