DX with COPD, what can I expect?
827223
If you are a smoker and continue to smoke.  expect to die a terrible painful death with slow suffocation.\nIf you have quit smoking, your lungs will have some time to heal and you will not get worse unless you get pneumonia or some other type lung infection.
1080149
Remember that as one continues to smoke, you lose more and more lung tissue and function.  You CANNOT diagnosis emphysema just by listening to your lungs.  By the time you actually hear decrease breathe sounds the emphysema is already pretty advanced.  Chest xrays are also pretty useless and again emphysematous changes on an xray indicated advanced lung disease.  Early on the best way to diagnosis emphysema is by a pulmonary function test (PFT) and also gives you an idea now much function you have left in your lungs.  It may also motivate you to stop smoking.\n\nSOB (shortness of breath) also occurs during the later stages of emphysema.  Your lung has alot of capacity so you can smoke for a long time and not feel SOB but once you feel SOB, the emphysema is already pretty advanced.\n\nAsk you doctor about a PFT.
1159562
The only way I've been able to travel with my Rx oxygen is on Continental Airlines.  They seem to be only one who accomodate you.  Even so they first require  your Dr to fill out a form prescribing the required use of O2.  \n      Then there is a fee to be paid for the use of their oxygen, ($100.) ea. way.
1158303
Emphysema as stated previously is typically caused by smoking and less likely second hand smoke.  So not smoking would prevent the development of emphysema.\n\nThere is another rarely genetic disorder called alpha-1 anti trypsin deficiency that account of 1-2% of all emphysema patient.  \nhttp://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/alpha1def.htm\n\nThe way emphysema works is as follows: people smoke and over time the toxins in the smoke damages and thins out your lung tissue.  As you get less and less lung tissue,  there is less surface area by which the oxygen that you breathe can cross into your blood.  Remember, that with less lung issue there is less surface the oxygen can come into contact with and cross into your blood.  If enough lung tissue is destoyed, there is less oxygen going into your body and your body recognizes this.  You get short of breath.  In addition when you do activity, your body's oxygen demand increase but the limiting factor is the limited amount of oxygen your lung can get into your system.  So people with emphysema have poor exercise tolerance and they fatigue early.  By the time people develope symptoms from emphysema, it is pretty advanced.  The way that I see it is that people have alot of reserve lung tissue initially that compensates for the progressive lost of lung tissue.  There is a point when all your reserve is used up which is late in the ballgame that you become symptomatic.\n\nObviously, anything that tries to push your lungs to do more will result in the lung not being about to meet the demand.  So things like allergies, a common cold, and pneumonia  can all try to push you lungs to do more but it can't.\n\nThis however is a very simplistic view of emphysema but I hope you understand it a bit better.  Getting on medication will help with the symptoms in addition to pulmonary rehab which helps to increase you physical endurance.  Get yearly flu shots and get your pneumonia shots.  See you doctor early when you develop increasing shortness of breathe, a cold or change in you cough or a fever.  Treat allergies and cold/bronchitis aggressively.
852960
my aunt had it done 10 years ago.  unfortunately she relies on an oxygen tank and can barely walk up stairs.  She is 60.  Sad, but she has emphysema.. diagnosed at 40.
1067371
May 29, 2000 -- Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to prevent this problem -- though there are ways you can ease its effects. It's a fact: Being at a high elevation is stressful to your body. The concentration of oxygen is 21% at both sea level and at higher altitudes, but the decreasing air pressure at higher elevations means you get significantly fewer oxygen molecules per breath once you go over about 8,000 feet. \n\nBefore your trip, make an effort to hit the gym more often, or do a few extra laps at the track. This can minimize the dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, and headaches that signal altitude sickness. Fitness at sea level doesn't guarantee an easier time when you're 2 miles high. But being in good shape makes it more likely that your lungs will be able to cope with the challenges of the high life. \n\nThere are also ways to ease the body's transition to higher altitudes once your trip begins. If you're going higher than 8,000 feet, take it slow. When you arrive, try to let your body acclimate for a day or two. When hiking up to 15,000 feet or more, spread out your ascent over a period of two or three days to give your body more time to adapt. And once on your trip, watch what you eat and drink. You'll want your respiratory system operating at full capacity, so avoid alcohol and any drugs that might interfere with your breathing, such as sleeping medications. \n\nIf your symptoms are severe, a prescription drug called Diamox may help. It works by stimulating your breathing, so that you take faster and deeper breaths. It can be taken on a plane several hours before arrival or at the airport before departure.
179091
I have heard of people living off of one lung, but your best bet would be to talk to the doctor at the hospital. He/She im sure would be more then glad to tell you everything you need to know... Hope he gets well soon!
1014248
Prednisolon is widely used in the treatment of COPD, asthma, emphyzema etc. It helps the patient's breathing especially during the course of a chest infection.\n\nI am speaking, both as a registered nurse and also as a relative. My mother died with COPD six years ago, i took care of her until she died. \n\nYou mention Mendrol, my mother was prescribed it but id didn't seem to agree with her, not as well as Prednisolon did. What i mean by that is that she didn't get over infections as quickly as she did on Prednisolon/\n\nYour mother should speak to  the doctor offering to increase her Mendrol, ask what would think about a course of Prednisolon. Her doctor may decide she is better off on Mendrol, in which case she could tell him that she asked for a second opinion.\n\nI don't know if you are in the UK or USA but should your mother ever feel that she was not getting the best tretment from her doctor, then Patients Charter states that she is entitled to have her views heard and switch doctor, if feeling that he would treat her beet.\n\nBest wishes
531698
MM/ is this it?\nhttp://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=38472
98110
If you are on home oxygen, following advise from this forum can be dangerous. Please don't try any home remedies, without consulting your physician. \n\nA note to anyone suggesting home remedies for increasing lung capacity. You don't know this persons history, and bad advice can be lethal. Think before you write.
755946
Start, Run, type in dxdiag, OK. Good Luck.
387954
I was diagnosed with COPD ten yrs ago and here I am, lol.  I am not going anywhere till I say so  LMAO.  But really, it depends on how bad it is not how you got it.  Take your meds like you supposed to stop smoking if you do and keep from getting a cold or sinus infections.  good luck
294687
I you mean Impaired Gas Exchange here are some answers and I will group them according to Independent and Collaborative Interventions:\nIndependent:\n> Assess respirations, noting quality, rate, depth, pattern and breathing effort.\n> Assess lung sounds and note changes\n> Assess for changes in behavior and orientation\n> Monitor activity level and provide rest period in between activities.\n\nCollaborative:\n> Monitor chest radiograph reports\n> Monitor closely ABG's, lab reports and note changes\n> Assess for s/sx of increasing hypoxia & hypercapnia\n> Assess PFT (pulmonary function test)\n> Assess hydration and electrolytes \n> Monitor O2 sat. with a pulse oximeter\n> Administer medication as prescribed and observe for therapeutic effect
1074743
My mom has emphysema.  She was doing pulmonary rehab which helped her tremendously.  Unfortunately, she hated it and quit going.
138379
Find your own pace.  Some people like to hurry and for someone with COPD, it can use up your energy quickly.  Find your own pace, one that works for you.  My uncle was in his late 70s, had COPD, yet accomplished more in a day than most people younger than him.  I asked him how he did it and he said he found his own pace and stuck to it.  The other part of my answer is to follow doctor's instructions, get your flu shot every year and try not to hang around with people who are sick with respiratory viruses. Use a clean room humidifier, especially during sleeping hours, do not overheat your home during the cold months (cool moist air is healthier than hot dry air).  Do NOT sit around doing nothing.  Keep busy doing what you can do (at your own pace of course) and do NOT dwell on that you can no longer do. Depression can do more harm than COPD if you let it run your life.  One thing I have noticed with some people who have a chronic illness.....they get too much into themselves.  It doesn't just happen to people with resp problems either.  I would suggest that each day you do one thing for someone else....make a phone call, write a letter...visit...etc.  If you are "crafty"...make something....if you bake or cook....make something.  By the way, nutrition is very important for you.  Small, frequent, nutrious meals and snacks are needed.  Good luck!  You have some good quality life to live, do your best to live it!
753947
Try this:\n\nhttp://www.nursingcenter.com/library/search.asp?R1=V2&query=dyspnea&section=1&searchAll=1
635596
The one major symptom is shortness of breath, early on in the disease it come with mild exertion, as the disease worsens the shortness of breath becomes more constant.  Coughing becomes a problem, takes alot of work to bring up the junk forming in the lungs.  Panic breathing becomes a problem, this is when you just can't seem to get enough air into your lungs it is truly frightening.  COPD is treated with bronchodilators, anti-spasmodic medications and steroids usually in the form of inhalers.  This delivers the medication directly to the lungs where it will do the most good.  Oxygen is eventually required, since the COPD patient has a hard time getting enough air into his lungs, the higher oxygen concentration helps.  Further treatment is surgical.  Lung reduction surgery can help but in the end is only temporary.  The only way to be rid of COPD alltogethor is by lung transplant.  This is how I got rid of mine nearly 9 years ago.