With the arrival of winter, the temperature plummets widely, and respiratory diseases are high in winter. In particular, people with COPD are prone to precipitating or exacerbating the disease, so it is important to prevent acute attacks.
Yueyang Evening News Quan** Reporter Luo Kai Correspondent Dai** Hu Yan
72-year-old Zou Dad used to be an "old smoker", because the temperature has dropped recently and he has not added clothes in time to keep warm, COPD has ** again.
The cough and phlegm are severe, and it becomes difficult to breathe, and it is impossible to get out of breath. Zou Dad said that after a week in the central hospital, through regular medication, reasonable exercise, and a tailor-made plan, the symptoms have now been controlled and alleviated.
Huang Lingmei, MD from the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Central Hospital, said that in winter, if COPD patients suffer from a cold, they are particularly prone to acute exacerbation, dyspnea and even respiratory failure.
The full name of COPD is "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", which is mainly manifested as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and the cold and dry air is the main reason for the high incidence of COPD in autumn and winter.
COPD has the characteristics of high prevalence, high disability rate, and high mortality rate, with a long disease cycle, easy to repeat acute exacerbations, and a variety of comorbidities, which seriously affects the quality of life.
According to reports, the common symptoms of COPD can be summarized as "cough, phlegm, and wheezing": chronic cough and sputum production, mostly cough in the morning and coughing up white mucus sputum;Shortness of breath or dyspnea are typical symptoms that initially appear during strenuous activity and interfere with daily life as the condition worsensWheezing may occur in some patients, particularly in severe cases or during acute exacerbations.
Many people don't pay attention to symptoms such as chronic cough, productive cough or difficulty breathing, which can be a sign of declining lung function. Huang Lingmei said that by the time there are obvious symptoms, the patient's condition is often more serious.
COPD can be prevented and treated, and there are serious missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses, so early detection and early correct diagnosis of COPD are of great significance. Diagnosis of COPD is relatively simple, and should be considered in patients with dyspnea, chronic cough or sputum production, a history of ** lower respiratory tract infection, or a history of exposure to risk factors for the disease.
Quit smoking. Smoking cessation is an important measure to prevent COPD and the most effective measure to delay the decline of lung function. Care should also be taken to avoid inhaling secondhand smoke.
Prevention of respiratory tract infections. In the season of high incidence of respiratory epidemics, patients should avoid going to crowded public places, pay attention to cold and keep warm, and avoid colds and colds. At the same time, you can get vaccinated against the new crown, flu, and Streptococcus pneumoniae to reduce the risk of lower respiratory tract infection.
Medication**. The first choice for COPD patients** is inhaled drugs to improve lung function and reduce exacerbations, but it is important to use inhalers correctly and under the guidance of a physician.
Do breathing**. Respiration** is one of the most important measures to improve exercise capacity, symptoms, and quality of life in patients with COPD of varying severity.
Perform home oxygen therapy. Patients with severe resting chronic hypoxemia require long-term home oxygen therapy. In patients with a history of hospitalization for severe chronic hypercapnia and acute respiratory failure, long-term noninvasive ventilation may reduce mortality and prevent rehospitalization.