COPD - Treatment - NHLBI, NIH
Oct 6, 2024 · Medicines to treat COPD symptoms include bronchodilators and steroids or nonsteroid medicines that reduce inflammation . A new add-on medicine approved in 2024 may help to control your disease. Your healthcare provider may prescribe an inhaler for you to always carry. Inhalers allow the medicine to go straight to your lungs.
COPD - What Is COPD? - NHLBI, NIH
Nov 8, 2024 · COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of a slimy substance called mucus . It can also cause breathing problems, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms . Because COPD is a progressive disease, its symptoms often develop slowly but worsen over time and can limit your ability to do routine activities.
COPD - Symptoms - NHLBI, NIH
Oct 4, 2024 · Symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, chest tightness, and fatigue. These can get worse over time. Sudden flare-ups of symptoms are called exacerbations. You should seek medical attention when symptoms occur.
Experimental blood test predicts risk for developing COPD, other …
Sep 10, 2024 · “Similar to using cholesterol levels to gauge a patient’s risk for having a heart attack, we’re looking at biological pathways to predict a person’s risk for having COPD or severe complications from COPD,” said Gabrielle Y. Liu, M.D., a study coauthor, pulmonologist, and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of ...
The COPD Caregiver’s Toolkit: Checklists & Forms | NHLBI, NIH
The COPD Caregiver's Toolkit provides information, advice, and tools from Learn More Breathe Better® and Respiratory Health Association to help care for someone with COPD. These checklists and forms can help keep track of vaccinations, medications, and more.
COPD - Diagnosis - NHLBI, NIH
Oct 4, 2024 · If your provider recommends getting an X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan to detect lung cancer or diagnose a breathing problem, ask them about your risk of COPD. If you get a COPD diagnosis, ask about genetic screening. Some people have a genetic condition that increases their risk of COPD, called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency ...
A Quick Guide On COPD - NHLBI, NIH
This guide provides an overview of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), its symptoms, how it affects breathing, and how it's diagnosed and treated. It can be used by health care professionals to have a dialogue with patients or as a general handout to …
COPD Research - NHLBI, NIH
Oct 8, 2024 · Biomarkers and COPD: NHLBI-funded researchers are studying lung tissue samples to identify new protein biomarkers. These biomarkers could be signs that COPD may develop. Through this analysis, the researchers hope to gain insight into the biological underpinnings of COPD, which may help in designing future …
COPD - Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency - NHLBI, NIH
Oct 25, 2023 · Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency increases an individual’s risk for COPD. The deficiency is an inherited genetic condition with no cure. The resulting COPD would be treated in the standard manner, with bronchodilators, steroids, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, and surgery. AAT is diagnosed with a blood test.
COPD - Causes and Risk Factors | NHLBI, NIH
Oct 4, 2024 · Most people who have COPD are at least 40 years old when symptoms begin. A condition that runs in families, called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency: If you are born with this condition, smoking or long-term exposure to fumes or dust can lead to lung damage and COPD. AAT deficiency can also raise your risk for developing COPD at a younger age.