Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

“There’s so much pollution in the air now that if it weren’t for our lungs there’d be no place to put it all.”
– Robert Orben

One of the most essential components of life, i.e. “air” is being polluted day-by-day due to chemicals, fumes, dust, tobacco smoke, etc. People are actually breathing these toxic chemicals all the time without even knowing or realizing it.

Respiratory diseases are thus on the rise, and millions of people are being afflicted by some kind of a lung disease every day.

One such omnipresent group of respiratory disorders is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD. Read more about Causes of COPD.

COPD is a lung disease which causes obstruction to airflow due to pathological changes in the airways or walls of air passages and air sacs of lungs. Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema are the two main conditions associated with COPD. Asthma may or may not be necessarily associated with COPD, but long term untreated Asthma with irreversible damage can end up in COPD.

COPD is the third leading cause of death in the USA and sixth leading cause of death all over the world.

Do you have a nagging cough since more than 3-4 months?

Do you find it difficult to breathe sometimes?

Have your ‘sick leaves’ increased off late because of repeated respiratory infections?

Have you gulped down bottles and bottles of cough syrup without any significant relief to your cough?

Then this may not be just a regular, short-lived cough. It is possible that you may have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which needs to be treated right away.

But you can relax and take a deep breath because with our Homeopathic Treatment you can again be able to breathe well and stop that cough for good.

COPD is a very troublesome condition which can be attributed to two of the biggest challenges faced by the world today, i.e. air pollution and smoking. Smokers not only endanger their lives but also others who inhale that smoke passively.

The smoke that is emitted from the cigarette is even more toxic and harmful than the smoke which is actually taken in by the smoker.

Although smoking is one of the main causes of COPD, many deaths due to COPD occur due to exposure to biomass fuels.

Symptoms

• Chronic cough: Cough is usually the first symptom to develop in COPD. When cough is present for more than 3 months in a year for 2 successive years, it indicates Chronic Bronchitis. Cough is productive with white, yellow or even green mucus. There could be frequent urge to spit or hack to clear the throat.
• Breathlessness: Shortness of breath is initially experienced only after physical exertion like climbing stairs. But with progress of the disease, it eventually becomes frequent.
• Abnormal sounds: Wheezing is an abnormal whistling sound due to difficult respiration. Rattling is the noise made by the air while it passes through the collected mucus which the lungs are unable to expel. This is one of the important symptoms of COPD.
• Heaviness or tightness of chest: It is not necessarily an indicator of COPD, but may be present along with other symptoms of COPD.
• Respiratory infections: Due to the compromised condition of the lungs and weakened immune system, chest infections due to viruses and bacteria tend to be frequent. Such infections may take longer to resolve than usual.
• Other: Symptoms like chest pain, weight loss, tiredness and ankle swelling may also occur along with symptoms of COPD.

Causes

• Smoking: Tobacco smoking is one of the chief causes of COPD. Smoking causes 90% of cases of COPD by producing inflammation of airway walls, exacerbating mucus production and interfering with normal functioning of air sacs.
• Air Pollution: Cooking fires fueled by coal or biomass fuels and urban air pollution increase the risk of exacerbations of COPD. Air pollution due to industries from various sources like coal mining, gold mining, cotton textile industries, fumes from welding, etc. cause occupational hazards in people working in these industries.
• Genetics: A family history of smokers has been observed to be one of the causes of COPD. Also, an inherited protein deficiency called alpha-1 antitrypsin may increase the risk of COPD, but it is a rare condition

 

• Acute Exacerbations: Acute exacerbations of COPD manifest as sudden increase in the intensity of existing symptoms like cough, mucus production, shortness of breathing and wheezing.
• Respiratory Infections: Patients with COPD tend to get infected easily and are more prone to suffer from flu, common colds, etc. which further deteriorate the lungs.
• Pneumonia: Like other infections, bacterial infections lead to Pneumonia in patients with COPD, which can lead to severe damage to lungs, even causing respiratory failure.
• Pulmonary Hypertension: COPD can lead to high blood pressure of arteries carrying blood to the lungs, which is known as Pulmonary Hypertension.
• Heart Disease: COPD greatly increases the risk of heart diseases and even heart attacks.
• Lung Cancer: The chances of developing lung cancer increase more in smokers with COPD than in smokers without COPD.
• Depression: Symptoms of COPD tend to decrease the work efficiency of the patient and possibly restricting him to do certain activities. Depression can occur in anyone who suffers from a serious long-term illness.
• Adrenal Crisis: In patients on long term use of steroids, there is a possibility of an adrenal crisis. Adrenal Crisis is a term given to a group of symptoms caused due to imbalance in hormone levels of the body. Symptoms include severe lethargy, fever, convulsions, confusion or psychosis, vomiting and diarrhoea leading to dehydration, loss of consciousness, inability to stand, etc., elevated levels of potassium and calcium, decreased levels of sodium and sugar, hypothyroidism, etc.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IN COPD?

WHAT CAN COPD LEAD TO?

If not treated, COPD can complicate into:

• Acute Exacerbations: Symptoms of COPD can aggravate at times causing more distress.
• Respiratory Infections: Patients with COPD are more prone to suffer from flu, common colds, etc.
• Pneumonia: COPD can complicate into Pneumonia and Respiratory Failure.
• Pulmonary Hypertension: COPD can lead to high blood pressure of arteries carrying blood to the lungs.
• Heart Disease: COPD greatly increases the risk of heart diseases and heart attacks.
• Lung Cancer: Chances of developing lung cancer are more in smokers with COPD than smokers without COPD.
• Depression: Depression can occur in anyone who suffers from a serious long-term illness that causes restriction in daily activities.
• Adrenal Crisis: In patients on long term use of steroids, there is possibility of adrenal crisis.

HOW WELL HOMEOPATHY WORKS IN COPD

• Homeopathy gives excellent results in all kinds of respiratory illnesses.
• Homeopathy not only treats the disease, but the patient as a whole and assures better quality of life than conventional medicines.
• Homeopathy is the only system of medicine that works on strengthening the immune system of an individual. Homeopathy can potentially even reverse pathological changes of the respiratory tract, provided the disease is still in the mild to moderate phases.
• Homeopathic Treatment for COPD is very subtle and gentle. The mild and minute doses of Homeopathy not only bring relief to the patient but also make sure that no other harm in the form of any physical or mental side effects is done on its way.
• Homeopathy is safe for, adults and elderly alike in Treatment for COPD.

• Do not smoke. You will hear this lot more times than you think. It may be easier said than done, butyou have to quit smoking.
• Make sure that proper hygiene is maintained so as to prevent any supreadded infections.
• Keep your house as clean as possible, free from dust.
• Avoid products with strong odors and chemicals which act as irritants and possibly cause exacerbations. Examples are paints, mosquito repellants, insecticides, perfumes, sprays, etc.
• Use a face mask to prevent air irritants from entering your system.

• It serves well to make sure that immunity is maintained and even made better, by following a healthy balanced diet.
• A healthy balanced diet includes the right proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins.
• Have whole grain foods like wheat, brown rice, oats, bran, etc. rather than refined foods.
• A high protein diet helps protect the body and fight infections. Good sources of proteins are lean meat, fish like salmon, eggs, cereals, legumes, etc.
• Having fresh fruits and vegetables provide you with enough fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Avoid dairy products, fast foods and all kinds of unhealthy junk food.
• Have plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated.
• Watch your weight. Make sure you neither put on nor lose too much weight.