For those who are unaware of what is COPD, it refers to a group of lung diseases that leads to blocked airways. It keeps you from breathing normally and leads to coughing
How can you improve your quality of life if you have COPD.pptx
How can you recognize serious COPD complications.pptx
1. How can you recognize serious
COPD complications ?
2. For those who are unaware of what is COPD, it refers to a group of lung
diseases that leads to blocked airways. It keeps you from breathing normally
and leads to coughing, mucus production, and wheezing. Patients suffering
from this health condition can develop other ailments and conditions related
to COPD. Thus, such people may be in greater health jeopardy than they
realize. To inform readers about these issues, here are a few COPD
complications and tips to avoid them.
3. Other ailments you may develop if
you have COPD
Pneumonia:
Pneumonia refers to a condition when bacteria or virus enters your system
and leads to an infection. It is a significant cause of death worldwide and
results in a chain reaction of ailments that can harm your lungs. For people
with a weakened pulmonary system, like someone who has COPD, the
condition can be a real threat. Thus, one should be extra careful not to
develop this problem. For this, you should drink plenty of fluids, get a
pneumonia vaccine, quit smoking tobacco, and wash your hands consistently.
4. COPD heart failure:
People with COPD must know that they are at a high risk of suffering from
COPD heart failure. It is so because patients of this ailment have lower oxygen
levels in the bloodstream. And, since the functioning of your lungs is closely
tied with the workings of your heart, the heart can get affected because of
diseased lungs. Experts suggest that it can cause severe pulmonary
hypertension, which results in right-sided heart failure in 5% - 10% of people.
To prevent heart failure, COPD patients are advised to engage in mild to
moderate levels of physical activity, give up smoking, and stick to a COPD
treatment plan.
5. Lung Cancer:
A risk factor for developing COPD is smoking. Thus, it is common for people
suffering from this condition to have lung cancer. But, this is not the only
connection between these ailments. Breathing in polluted and chemical-rich
air can also irritate the lungs and cause a person to develop one or both of
these conditions. Besides, genetics may also play a role. Therefore, to prevent
lung cancer from developing, people should avoid factors that can damage
the lungs.
6. Diabetes:
COPD may not result in diabetes, but it can make it harder for the patient to
manage diabetes. One reason for this is that certain medications that are
suggested to COPD patients adversely affect glucose control. Another risk
factor for people with both diabetes and COPD is that people with the prior
condition may have an affected cardiovascular system, which, in turn, can
affect their pulmonary condition.
7. Dementia:
In people who are suffering from severe COPD, mental decline happens. It is
especially the case with older people who have this condition. The opposite is
also true since COPD is a risk factor for dementia. It occurs because symptoms
like low oxygen levels and high oxygen levels common in COPD can cause
harm to the brain. Also, cerebrovascular damage that happens because of
smoking leads to the development of dementia. It is advised to maintain a
healthy weight, not smoke tobacco products, and manage cholesterol and
sugar levels to prevent this from happening.
So, these are a few conditions that people suffering from COPD must be alert
of.