How to Treat COPD

COPD is an irreversible lung disease. COPD treatment is aimed at slowing down the degeneration of the lungs and progression of the disease rather than reversing the disease.

Various COPD stages require different modes of medications. Although many drugs are available that stop the progression of COPD, no drug has been shown to be a complete cure for COPD.

A COPD prognosis requires various controls and changes in lifestyle, like quitting smoking cigarettes and other nicotine substances. Many alternative therapies such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Antidepressant Therapy are commonly used in COPD treatment. Clonidine is a COPD medication that is mostly used to treat nicotine withdrawal symptoms faced by patients while quitting smoking.

COPD tests can confirm whether the patient has any infections caused by COPD. The treatment of COPD can then utilize various antimicrobial drugs. Bronchodilators are also used in COPD treatment to relax the muscles in the airway and aid in easier breathing. Beta2-agonists (bronchodilator) are available in inhalers, pills, injections, and syrup forms.

The FDA has recently approved roflumilast as a treatment to reduce the risk of COPD exacerbations in COPD patients suffering from chronic bronchitis and having history of exacerbations. Corticosteroids, Aerosol Therapy, and Pulmonary Rehabilitation have also led to immense improvement in the conditions of patients with a COPD prognosis.

For more on COPD, see below:

Do I Have Bronchitis?

Bronchitis Diet

Bronchitis: How Your Diet Plays a Role