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May 27, 2008, 5:29 pm
Flag as Inappropriate fredkin  

Can anyone that knows a little about this share some light for me? I know its a lung disease, but I have been told a smoker or a non smoker can get this. Are there any real treatments for it? I know someone that does have it, refuses to quit smoking and is on meds, but they don't seem to be helping.

I'm thinking its due to the fact that the person is still smoking, and I know how hard it is to quit but still doesnt it make sense if you cant breathe to quit? Anything that will help, thanks in advance all.

Meds won't really help with COPD. It used to be called emphysema-maybe you know it by that name? Basically it means that the lungs have been destroyed by some process or other and drugs can only help to manage the symptoms. Nothing will cure this, or reverse it.

COPD may not be curable but it is a progressive disease. Medications can help slow the progress but will be useless as long as your friend/family continues to smoke. Eventually the person will end up on inhalers and oxygen someday.

Very odd that I wasnt aware the name changed I guess? I am quite familiar with it being emphysema and now I feel like a dork. :) Thanks for clarifying for me, and I knew the meds could help abit but I don't get why this person wont even go see a doctor and atleast say "I don't want meds", still gets them, just doesnt do anything with them. Its like I'm watching someones downfall and that bugs me.

COPD and emphasyma are two different diseases. COPD is

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Its a type of COPD, but it doesnt ahve the xtras that COPD often have, like cardiac enzyme problems and enlarged heart.

COPD uses afew extra drugs that EMP. doesnt use, which relys more on )2 therapy.

I had an aunt who had EmP and lived into her 80s, My mother died of COPD.

One of teh main things with either is drastic lifestyle change and proper medication to help.

Boith have chemical treatments and lifestyle treatment that can increase the quality of life.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/copd/treatment.html

COPD can be managed, but even if the person stops smoking it could still be an uphill battle, and not one they can win, depending on how long they smoked and the overall damage. Even with oxygen and other treatment it may not be enough to get back the lung function lost or stop the progression. Its scary and sad but a good reminder that not everything can be fixed.

The only person that I know started off in the early 90's with emphasyma but in the last year or two has only called it COPD, so I was wondering the difference if any since its now pointed out they are different and also why the person changed the name, maybe got confused?

COPD is a class of conditions, that anyone who has lungs can suffer from. Both asthma and emphysema are part of this class of ailments.

The bad thing about this disease is that you can get it if you are around persons who smoke or if you are exposed to conditions where things are burnt on a regular basis, so everyone just needs to be careful.

Being careful doesn't really matter that much, unless you ALREADY have one of the conditions in this class of lung ailments.

Bronchitis, also a member of this class of ailments, can develop after a cold or influenza and never leave, with medications being used to control it's affect on the patient.