History
COPD is a progressive disease that can be positively influenced by therapy but cannot be stopped. In the early stages of the disease, many people confuse COPD with a smoker’s cough because the symptoms, a chronic cough combined with yellowish-brownish sputum, are very similar. In contrast to the smoker’s cough, inflammatory changes in the airways can already be detected here.
In the further course of the disease, breathing difficulties occur. Due to the ongoing inflammatory reactions, the bronchial tubes scar over, causing them to narrow chronically. In the beginning, the shortness of breath only manifests itself under stress, but later on it also manifests itself more and more frequently in resting states.
Furthermore, there is an increased production of tough bronchial mucus. Many affected persons develop emphysema in this stage of the disease. In the final stage of the disease, those affected are extremely restricted in their everyday life. Due to the severe shortness of breath, many stop their physical activity or have to be artificially ventilated due to the lack of auxiliary breathing muscles. Other organs such as the heart can also be altered by the disease and cause additional problems.
Life expectancy
Information about the exact life expectancy of COPD patients cannot be given due to the complexity of the disease. On average, the life expectancy of people with COPD is reduced by 5-7 years. However, the stage of the disease as well as the general compliance of the patients is also decisive. With consistent implementation of the therapy guidelines, most COPD courses can be positively influenced. Conversely, factors such as old age, the continuation of unhealthy habits (especially smoking), other diseases, infections and low blood oxygen levels have a negative effect on life expectancy.
COPD vs. asthma
Although COPD and asthma describe diseases of the respiratory tract and have similar symptoms such as shortness of breath, they are two completely different diseases. While COPD is usually caused by smoking and results in chronic bronchitis, asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, which is caused by hypersensitivity of the bronchi. Unlike COPD, asthma is variable in severity and often seasonal.
Asthma is therefore not a progressive disease like COPD. Altogether there are different characteristics which help to differentiate asthma from COPD. Typical symptoms of asthma are that the narrowing of the bronchi is reversible (reversible) and the hyperreactivity of the bronchi is variable. COPD mostly occurs in adults as a result of years of nicotine consumption, while asthma often occurs in adolescence. Although both diseases are not considered curable, asthma is usually more easily treated with medication than COPD, so that those affected are better able to cope with their everyday life and are less restricted by the disease.
