2nd World Congress on COPD, Asthma and Lung Health

What is bronchitis? Bronchitis is the name for the condition that results when the bronchial tubes become inflamed. Those tubes swell and accumulate mucus, and it becomes more difficult to breathe. Individuals with bronchitis have a reduced ability to breathe air and oxygen into their lungs; also, they cannot clear heavy mucus or phlegm from their airways. Key Points about Bronchitis Bronchitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and other particles that irritate the bronchial tubes. Acute bronchitis is a short-term illness that often follows a cold or viral infection. Chronic bronchitis is a long-term illness and can be the result of environmental factors or extended illness. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of chronic bronchitis. Chest X-ray, lung function testing, and blood testing are used to diagnose bronchitis. Signs and Symptoms of both Acute and Chronic Bronchitis include: A persistent cough, which may produce mucus Wheezing Low fever and chill...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a lung disease that is characterized by a persistent reduction of airflow. The symptoms of COPD are progressively worsening and persistent breathlessness on exertion, eventually leading to breathlessness at rest. It tends to be under­diagnosed and can be life­threatening. The more familiar terms “chronic bronchitis” and “emphysema” have often been used as labels for the condition. Key Facts about COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive life­threatening lung disease that causes breathlessness initially with exertion and predisposes to exacerbations and serious illness. The Global Burden of Disease Study reports a prevalence of 251 million cases of COPD globally in 2016. Globally, it is estimated that 3.17 million deaths were caused by the disease in 2015 that is, 5% of all deaths globally in that year. More than 90% of COPD deaths occur in low­ and middle­income countries. The primary cause of COPD is ex...

Asthma is a common, long-term disease that requires ongoing management. If you have asthma, you have very sensitive airways the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. Certain triggers can cause your airways to become inflamed and tighten when you breathe. Triggers can include stress, exercise, cold air, and breathing in particular substances such as smoke, pollution or pollen. Key facts Asthma is one of the major noncommunicable diseases. It is a chronic disease of the air passages of the lungs which inflames and narrows them. Some 235 million people currently suffer from asthma. It is a common disease among children. Most asthma-related deaths occur in low- and lower-middle income countries. According to the latest WHO estimates, released in December 2016, there were 383 000 deaths due to asthma in 2015. The strongest risk factors for developing asthma are inhaled substances and particles that may provoke allergic reactions or irritate the airways. Medication ca...

What is Severe asthma? Severe asthma can greatly impair your quality of life, but newer treatments may help get your symptoms under control. Around 24 million Americans live with asthma. For some, asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest, and shortness of breath can be severe, and medication is unable to control them. This is known as severe asthma. Severe asthma has traditionally been hard to define, it’s now considered to be asthma that requires treatment with high-dose inhaled steroids plus a second controller, systemic steroids, or both, in order to prevent asthma from becoming uncontrolled; or asthma that remains uncontrolled despite this therapy. Severe asthma, however, makes life miserable. You go to the emergency room repeatedly because you can’t breathe. You can’t go to work or school because of your condition, and your quality of life is compromised. Oral and intravenous steroids, which are given by the doctor to treat severe, uncontr...

COPD, which is most often caused by years of smoking, is characterized by inflammation and excessive mucus in the lungs that blocks airflow. Quitting can slow the progress of COPD, but it doesn’t halt the disease. Anti-inflammatory drugs are the most common treatment. however, they suppress the immune system, which can put people with COPD at risk for secondary infections. The number of patients with COPD worldwide is increasing and there are no treatments to stop the disease from progressing. Current therapies, such as bronchodilators and steroids, can relieve symptoms but are not cures. Patients with COPD suffer greatly from symptoms of a cough, shortness of breath, infective exacerbations and even death. Thus, there is a great unmet need for new therapies. Many studies have focused on the overall health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish like salmon and tuna, but few have zeroed in on their role in lung disease. Sime, Phipps and others have shown that...

Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) is when you have symptoms of both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes reversible airway narrowing, inflammation in the airways, and mucus production. Some symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, tightening in the chest, and wheezing. Most people with asthma have exacerbations or flare-ups. These are times when their symptoms are worse than usual. There are also times when they have few or no symptoms. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two main conditions that fall under the COPD umbrella. COPD can cause shortness of breath, chest tightening, mucus production, and an ongoing cough. COPD is a progressive disease. People with COPD have regular symptoms and also experience flares. Asthma and COPD are the most commonly diagnosed chronic lung diseases. They both involve inflammation of the airways, obstruction of airflow, and some other common symptoms. Symptoms of...

Inhalers dispense a variety of medications that act upon the lungs in different ways to help people breathe more easily. They can be a lifesaving measure during an acute asthma attack or used for control of daily symptoms. Inhalers deliver medicine you need straight to your lungs. It goes without saying then, that they're used for conditions which affect your lungs, of which by far the most common are  asthma  and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ). Because the medicine goes straight to where it's needed, you only need tiny amounts compared to the dose you'd need to take of the same medicine in tablet form. That means fewer side effects and more effective treatment - as long as you take them properly. Asthma The wheeze and cough of asthma affect one in 20 adults and one in 10 children. Which inhalers you'll get depends on how severe, and how frequent, your symptoms are - but the aim is to keep you pretty much wheeze-free, so you only need to take...

Smoker's lung is a chronic inflammation of the lungs. Its proper title is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) . But this covers several different conditions including those commonly known as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease characterized by inflammation of the lungs and chronically poor airflow escalating over time. Its symptoms include shortness of breath, cough and mucus production and are caused by environmental factors, including exposure to noxious particles. Cigarette smoke is the major cause for COPD, accounting for 80-90% of COPD cases. The defining feature is obstruction of the flow of air in and out of the lungs which is not completely reversible unlike asthma, where airflow can return to normal and which usually gets progressively worse over time. Cigarette smoke exposure is a major but preventable cause of increased risk of lung infections in children and adults. Smoke exposure is l...