Among individuals with the obstructive lung disease, the tube of the lungs that carry air become partly obstructed. This causes shortness of breathing where the affected individuals experience breathing difficulty. Some of the obstructive lung diseases include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and cystic fibrosis.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a group of lung conditions characterized by the difficulty with exhaling the air out of the lungs resulting from the narrowed airways. Among the individuals with this disease, the airways become narrowed because the airways are either inflamed or the lung tissue is damaged. COPD usually develops among individuals who are smokers and have developed long-term damage to the lungs. It can also develop as the result of breathing in materials such as air pollution, dust, fumes and various chemicals. Some of the symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, cough lasting long time, wheezing and producing more sputum than normal. The treatment for COPD consists of medications to relieve the symptoms. As the treatment plan, it is also important to stop smoking which can be most effective. Some of the individuals may benefit from oxygen particularly when they have a low level of oxygen. A lung transplant is the only option for those with the severe COPD.
Asthma
Asthma is the long-term condition caused by the inflammation of the airways. Some of the individuals with asthma can experience minor problems while others can have major problems that can affect their everyday activities. Although the exact cause cannot be identified, it can develop as the result of genetic and environmental factors such as air pollutants, respiratory infections, pollen, dust mites, stress, certain medications and gastrointestinal reflux disease. The common symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing attacks, chest tightness or pain and the wheezing sound. When the symptoms deteriorate, it is called the ‘asthma attack’. The treatment is based on the identification of the triggers and to avoid their exposure. Medications such as quick-relief inhalers called bronchodilators can open the inflamed airways to help with breathing. Long-term asthma control medications can control the asthma attack and in some cases, the allergy medications can be beneficial if triggered by allergies.
Cystic fibrosis
This is a genetic condition that affects the lungs and the digestive system that occurs as the result of a defective gene. Cystic fibrosis causes persistent lung infections and affects the individual’s ability to breathe normally over time. Cystic fibrosis causes a thick accumulation of mucus that blocks the airways resulting in infections, lung damage and respiratory failure. Some of the symptoms of cystic fibrosis include a persistent cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, greasy bulky stools, frequent lung infections such as pneumonia and very salty-tasting skin. As the severity of the condition can vary among the affected individuals, the treatment plans are hence tailored for individual’s requirements. The treatment includes a combination of therapies such as airway clearance to loosen the thick mucus, inhaled medications that open the airways and pancreatic enzyme supplement to improve absorption of essential nutrients.
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