What you need to know about COPD

Did you know that November is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) awareness and lung cancer awareness month? Did you know that smoking is the number one risk factor for both COPD and lung cancer? If you smoke, find a way to quit! Within two weeks to three months of quitting smoking, your lung function improves and your risk of developing lung cancer drops by half within 10-15 years. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. While there are other risk factors for lung cancer and COPD, such as air pollution, exposure to certain industrial chemicals or wood smoke, cigarette smoking is by far the worst thing you can do to your lungs. 

Those who live in rural areas, like here in the Big Horn County, are at higher risk of developing COPD. It is important to be aware of the symptoms and chat with your doctor if you have concerns about COPD. If you are or were a smoker and are over 40 years old, you are more likely to develop COPD. COPD is insidious and often is not detected right away. Symptoms can be a chronic cough, sputum production with cough, chest tightness or wheezing, but often the first symptom seen is shortness of breath with exertion, whether it is feeling short of breath walking up stairs or up a hill, or just going for a walk. Often, people will modify their activities due to this without realizing that they are doing it, or they will chalk it up to “being out of shape.” While not being physically fit can have an effect on how short of breath you feel walking upstairs, if you are finding yourself unable to slowly ascend a staircase without needing to stop to catch your breath along the way, it is time to have a discussion with your healthcare provider. 

Those with COPD should take extra caution with all the smoke in the air we have had recently, or other times there are a lot of pollutants in the air, such as in the spring with the field burning we have here. When there are more pollutants in the air, those who are at greater risk, those with asthma or COPD, should stay inside as much as possible. Make sure that if you have COPD and have a daily inhaler you are using it as prescribed. If you find yourself needing your rescue inhaler more than usual or are feeling increased shortness of breath, check in with your doctor to make sure that you aren’t experiencing a flare or exacerbation of your lung condition. 

Pay attention to those you know deal with COPD; if they are unable to speak in full sentences without taking a breath, are breathing faster, are leaning forward to be able to breath or you note wheezing, they need medical attention immediately. 

If you are dealing with feeling short of breath, having wheezing, chronic cough, sputum production or chest tightness, make an appointment to discuss this with your healthcare provider. Don’t put it off, as early effective treatment can improve your long-term outcome. 

Unfortunately, lung cancer is often not diagnosed until later stages, as it is rapidly progressing and often does not cause symptoms in the early stages, therefore if you are over 50, have smoked for 20 pack years (1 pack per day for 20 years, 2 packs per day for 10 years, etc) or currently smoke, or have quit within the past 15 years, talk to your provider about a screening low dose CT scan of your lungs, which is the only manner of early detection. 

(Enrika Rain Potter is a family nurse practitioner at Three Rivers Health.)