The diseases that affect the most vital organ of the respiratory system, the lungs, are pulmonary diseases. These occur due to various reasons that Michael Coppola, a pulmonologist in Glen Burnie, has in-depth knowledge and experience for over four decades.
Among the primary causes of these diseases is infection. In medical terms, any infection caused by tobacco, passive inhalation of tobacco, air pollution, or asbestos is referred to as pulmonary disease or COPD (chronic pulmonary disease).
The two COPD that an individual acquires very quickly are chronic Bronchitis and emphysema. As a matter of fact, a lot of people are said to have both simultaneously. To explain it most simply, emphysema is a disease that slowly incapacitates the air sacs in the lungs. On the other hand, Bronchitis is related to the narrowing of the bronchial tubes, of which an accumulation of mucus is a direct consequence. This is what makes breathing difficult.
The symptoms of COPD begin with a mild cough and throat irritation in most cases. This is followed by shortness of breath and wheezing. The affected person often complains of a suffocating feeling in the chest and finds it hard to breathe freely. The sputum or mucus in the throat may also seem to be increasing in discomfort. Unfortunately, for some individuals, this flares to the level that they can barely breathe or may even lose consciousness.
Veteran doctors such as Michael Coppola would agree that resolution to this physical discomfort should be found earliest. When one feels a tightness in the chest, alongside chronic cough and energy deficiency, the others around them ought to understand that COPD has reached a severe stage. If things worsen, the affected person may also experience extreme fatigue, loss of weight, and swelling in parts of the leg.
The first and foremost preventive measure to curb the intensity of the symptoms is to stop smoking if one is a habitual smoker. That will only make things worse. Even if one is not an active smoker, they should try and be away from areas or people where there is smoke. Even the factories’ fumes of chemicals and fuels are very hazardous for any person suffering from COPD.
A minimal percentage of the patients with COPD is said to have acquired the disease owing to hereditary. Another reason one can get affected by COPD is the deficiency of a particular protein type in the body. The name of this protein is alpha-1-antitrypsin.
The presence of infection in the lung is detected by a non-invasive test known as Spirometry. Other tests such as the X-Ray or CT scan are also helpful in diagnosing and treating this relatively common yet severe disease.
The diagnosis of COPD is made via physical examination by experienced doctors such as Michael Coppola. However, a doctor will be to help a sufferer of COPD to the best of his abilities only when they get to know all the symptoms occurring in the patient. It is thus crucial that the patient share all the signs so that the doctor can administer the cure readily.
