Patient with respiratory diseases may realize that they have some respiratory problems a little late in the course of their disease. Respiration is an involuntary process. It has to occur and we adapt to many of its requirements. Witnessing own respiration is a difficult exercise. It’s so difficult that if one start to focus on it, breathlessness will appear at some point. The COPD patient, unfortunately, feels guilty bout their condition. Who or what is responsible for the new diagnosis, the new therapeutic approach to a condition in their body? Why the disease is happening?
Physician must understand the COPD patient as more complicated ill subject. It’s one of those diseases related to an addiction or a bad habit that flower very late in the process. Understanding the causes of addictions like cigarette, alcohol, cigars, etc will help the therapy of the patient definitely. COPD patient is more than a set of chest X rays and values of air flows and volumes. When we explain patients the importance of lungs as related to their existence and the interests that they may have developed, a journey to the right starts.
Breathing is key, so is inhaling and exhaling and keeping the airways opened most of the time. Patients need to understand that damage is done but there are ways to maintain their status or bringing back some of their quality of life. If patients become interested in gaining control of their bodies we can help easier.
Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking should be part of the instructional process. Why the patient started? Why should stop smoking? How smoking affects their lungs’ function and the synchrony with their heart and their brain? Telling patients about the impact on their bodies because of cigarette smoking and being sure they understand (without criticism) support the path toward a successful quit. Patients understand that it is not easy but we need to agree with them and let them know we can help. A combined approach will be fundamental giving importance to non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures.
Activities of daily living
Maintaining a level of activity will help them to assess their improvement when they receive the appropriate management. Don’t let your patient lay down due to their disease. Don’t let your physician forget to talk about how active you can be if you’re a COPD patient. Set goals to return to activities, to get more healthy lifestyle.
Maintenance medication
There’s no doubt that a narrowed airway needs to be re-opened. Airway narrowing is the main physiological event in terms of consequences. To help revert this situation, bronchodilators are the right drugs. Inhaled bronchodilators have shown to provide COPD patients with improvements in lung function and symptoms. These drugs can be inhaled to be delivered to the airway walls directly. They may attack two mechanisms of the airway narrowing: the excessive contraction or the low relaxation (cholinergic and adrenergic mechanisms). Inhaled corticosteroids may be required for those patients categorized as frequent exacerbators (those who have crisis very frequently = more than twice in a year). Corticosteroids may affect the sudden or subacute inflammations related to respiratory viral infections, for example.
Other components of COPD therapy
Oxygen, vaccinations, rescue medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, psycotherapy are important components of the management that should be discussed with patients and care givers to get more advantage from the medical management. All topics that patients bring to the office should be discussed carefully to give them more power over their disease and avoid frequent fluctuations in their fight for their health.
“Talk to your doctor” is a common advise for patients. “Talk to your patient” should be part of our commitment with their health.
Patient with respiratory diseases may realize that they have some respiratory problems a little late in the course of their disease. Respiration is an involuntary process. It has to occur and we adapt to many of its requirements. Witnessing own respiration is a difficult exercise. It’s so difficult that if one start to focus on it, breathlessness will appear at some point. The COPD patient, unfortunately, feels guilty bout their condition. Who or what is responsible for the new diagnosis, the new therapeutic approach to a condition in their body? Why the disease is happening?
Physician must understand the COPD patient as more complicated ill subject. It’s one of those diseases related to an addiction or a bad habit that flower very late in the process. Understanding the causes of addictions like cigarette, alcohol, cigars, etc will help the therapy of the patient definitely. COPD patient is more than a set of chest X rays and values of air flows and volumes. When we explain patients the importance of lungs as related to their existence and the interests that they may have developed, a journey to the right starts.
Breathing is key, so is inhaling and exhaling and keeping the airways opened most of the time. Patients need to understand that damage is done but there are ways to maintain their status or bringing back some of their quality of life. If patients become interested in gaining control of their bodies we can help easier.
Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking should be part of the instructional process. Why the patient started? Why should stop smoking? How smoking affects their lungs’ function and the synchrony with their heart and their brain? Telling patients about the impact on their bodies because of cigarette smoking and being sure they understand (without criticism) support the path toward a successful quit. Patients understand that it is not easy but we need to agree with them and let them know we can help. A combined approach will be fundamental giving importance to non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures.
Activities of daily living
Maintaining a level of activity will help them to assess their improvement when they receive the appropriate management. Don’t let your patient lay down due to their disease. Don’t let your physician forget to talk about how active you can be if you’re a COPD patient. Set goals to return to activities, to get more healthy lifestyle.
Maintenance medication
There’s no doubt that a narrowed airway needs to be re-opened. Airway narrowing is the main physiological event in terms of consequences. To help revert this situation, bronchodilators are the right drugs. Inhaled bronchodilators have shown to provide COPD patients with improvements in lung function and symptoms. These drugs can be inhaled to be delivered to the airway walls directly. They may attack two mechanisms of the airway narrowing: the excessive contraction or the low relaxation (cholinergic and adrenergic mechanisms). Inhaled corticosteroids may be required for those patients categorized as frequent exacerbators (those who have crisis very frequently = more than twice in a year). Corticosteroids may affect the sudden or subacute inflammations related to respiratory viral infections, for example.
Other components of COPD therapy
Oxygen, vaccinations, rescue medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, psycotherapy are important components of the management that should be discussed with patients and care givers to get more advantage from the medical management. All topics that patients bring to the office should be discussed carefully to give them more power over their disease and avoid frequent fluctuations in their fight for their health.
“Talk to your doctor” is a common advise for patients. “Talk to your patient” should be part of our commitment with their health.