Lung Disease: COPD
There are many reasons to get proper treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is why the condition is commonly addressed by Lung Center of Nevada, a division of Comprehensive Cancer Centers. In serious cases of COPD, flow of air in your lungs can be partially obstructed, and for those with serious cases, flow of air can be block blocked, making treatment an urgent necessity.
Given the fact that COPD is a long-term condition and does not go away, the question becomes how does one control and treat COPD? The team at Lung Center of Nevada, part of Comprehensive Cancer Centers, is ready to help with full evaluations of individual cases of COPD, which then turn into detailed diagnoses and personalized treatment programs.
How Do You Know if You Have COPD?
There are some commonalities for those with COPD, which include the following symptoms, along with some reasons why they are often ignored:
- Excess Mucus: If you’re coughing up mucus for a month or more, it can be easy to misconstrue that for having a persistent cold or allergies, but those normal health issues shouldn’t last that long.
- Trouble Breathing: If you suffer from shortness of breath that gets worse over time, it can be dismissed as just being in bad physical shape. Even those who regularly exercise can have trouble breathing.
- Coughing: If you have a frequent cough, which make sound or feel like what’s called smoker’s cough, even if you smoke or not, the presence of that type of cough should not be ignored.
- Wheezing/Whistling: If you make these types of sounds while breathing, it’s not just part of getting older.
Rather than thinking they have COPD, some people dismiss these symptoms as being a cause of just out of shape and needed to get to the gym, or as result of getting older. Being out of breath is not normal and it’s important to talk to your doctor at Lung Center of Nevada to find out if you need help.
How Can You Best Manage COPD?
Quitting smoking is the only known way to slow down progression of COPD. Even for those who may be life-long smokers, it’s never too late to quit. Some of the positive effects that may happen soon after quitting smoking include:
- 20 minutes after quitting smoking – heart rate and blood pressure will drop.
- 2 weeks after quitting smoking – blood circulation and lung function begin improving.
- As soon as 1 month after quitting smoking – coughing can decrease, and breathing can improve.
Quitting smoking is known to be a challenge, and many attempts may be necessary before one finally quits for good. Primary physicians can help those looking to quit with options that may help. Comprehensive Cancer Centers created the I Quit For campaign to help people quit smoking for good.
As with any other condition or disease, the key to proper management of COPD comes with getting a diagnosis as soon as possible. The Lung Center of Nevada teams finds that, as with other health challenges, for many patients COPD can go undiagnosed for long periods of time as those with the condition ignore or just try to power through it, thinking it’s not a big deal.
While it can be hard for some to seek help, it’s important to do so with COPD, or any other health issue. There’s nothing doctors enjoy more than having a patient think they have a health issue and being able to reassure them that they are ok. Conversely, doctors also are glad to find health issues that were previously going ignored and get a diagnosis in place that allows patients to take control of their health and start feeling better.
In short, if you think you may have a problem with your health, such as COPD, get it checked out as soon as possible.
How Lung Center of Nevada Treats COPD
When it comes to care for your chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Lung Center of Nevada and its team of board-certified pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, and administrative support staff are dedicated to providing high-quality care for our patients. To schedule an appointment with the Lung Center team, please call 702-952-3350.
The content is this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
