Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a serious lung disease that makes it hard to breathe - but can be treated. Current treatments for COPD cannot repair the damage to the lungs. However, they can slow further damage and improve COPD symptoms. This makes it easier to breathe and feel better.
Medicines
Medicines can improve COPD symptoms. They must be taken as directed by your doctor. COPD medicines usually help:
All of which makes breathing easier.
The most common types of daily COPD medicines are: bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids.
Bronchodilators help relax the muscles around the lungs' breathing tubes. This allows them to open up or expand. This can reduce coughing, improve shortness or breath and make breathing easier. Bronchodilators are usually breathed directly into the lungs with an inhaler (a device to breathe the medicine in).
Corticosteroids (or steroids) reduce swelling in the breathing tubes making breathing easier. They can be taken in pill form (prednisone) or with an inhaler. Inhaled corticosteroids are much less likely to cause side effects. (Note: these are not the same type of steroids that some athletes take to give them bigger muscles.) Oral/systemic steroids are only used in COPD for a short time during a flare-up.
Antibiotics are used to treat lung infections caused by bacteria, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. You should also get the flu shot each year to help prevent lung infections. These infections can make your COPD much worse. Also talk with your doctor about getting a pneumonia shot. This shot lasts for several days. Sometimes your doctor may prescribe a rescue medicine. Rescue medicines are used when you have an episode where you're so out of breath and your chest is so tight, that you need help quickly. The most common is albuterol. It is a short-acting bronchodilator that can provide relief in five minutes.