Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)

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Care & Treatment

While COPD has no cure, treatment can slow the disease and reduce symptoms of it.

Treatment Starts Here: Stop Smoking

If you have COPD, you must stop smoking. No other treatment slows the lung damage more than quitting. Your risk of dying from COPD also decreases.

A number of excellent programs and aids can help people stop smoking. Your healthcare professional can make recommendations about them.

Medications that Help

There are medications that make breathing easier and reduce COPD symptoms.  Some are swallowed and some are inhaled. They include:

Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators are usually inhaled medications that relax the muscles around the airways to let more air through and make breathing easier. A healthcare provider may order either or both of the following types of bronchodilators:

  • Short acting bronchodilators start working quickly and wear off quickly. These are used when a person has wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath. Short-acting bronchodilators include Albuterol, Levalbuterol, and Ipratropium.
  • Long-acting bronchodilators start working more slowly and last longer. They are used daily to improve symptoms. Examples of long-acting bronchodilators are Salmeterol, Formoterol, and Tiotropium.

Correct use of inhalers is important to get the benefits of using them. Only 60 percent of older adults use inhalers correctly. Diseases that affect strength and coordination can cause this problem. Ask a healthcare professional to see whether you are using your inhaler correctly. They may recommend A tube-like device, called a spacer, can be put on the inhaler to make it easier to use. 

Steroids

Steroids help reduce inflammation in the airways and prevent flare-ups of COPD. Inhaled steroids are usually used for COPD. Examples include Fluticasone and Budesonide.

These drugs are for sudden worsening of COPD symptoms. Steroids are used for a short period of time. Long term use is not good because of serious side effects, like osteoporosis and cataracts, ulcers, diabetes, and other serious health problems.   

Oxygen Therapy

If the oxygen levels in the blood are too low, a person may need extra oxygen delivered through a face mask or small tubes in the nose. Extra oxygen, when needed, can help a person:

  • Exercise more.
  • Do more activities at home or when out.
  • Feel more comfortable carrying out daily activities.

There are several devices available now that are lightweight and portable. This helps people be active and independent.

Respiratory (Pulmonary) Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs combine exercise, education, and counseling to help a person live better with COPD. These programs can:

  • Train people to breathe more easily and have more energy.
  • Provide a feeling of being more in control of COPD and emotions.
  • Reduce hospitalization in people who have flare-ups of COPD.

Programs may be done at home or in a clinic. They involve several sessions per week for about 6 weeks.

Surgery

For a few people, surgery may be helpful. Removing badly damaged lung tissue may allow the healthy parts of the lungs to:

  • Work better.
  • Expand and replace the parts that have been removed.

A lung transplant may be an option for some people who can safely have this major surgery.

 

Last Updated May 2023

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