What is COPD (KOL in Danish)?
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a chronic disease in the lungs where the lung tissue slowly damaged, which results in increasing shortness of breath.
What are the reasons for COPD?
The most common cause is smoking but can also be caused by hereditary and other environmental factors.
When should you be checked?
• If you are a smoker
• If you have symptoms like shortness of breath, cough with mucus
from the lungs or frequent lung infections
How is COPD diagnosed?
The diagnose is made by a measurement of lung function. The measurement is done by breathing out the air as quickly and for as long as possible. The result is used to find out if there is COPD and possibly to what extent you have the disease.
What can you do yourself?
Avoid smoking. Be physically active. On the website www.min.medicin.dk there are short film clips that show how to take your inhalation medicine correctly. If you are diagnosed with COPD, you are more likely to get pneumonia, which can worsen your COPD. Therefore, the flu vaccine is recommended every year, as well as vaccine against pneumonia.
What is the treatment?
Smoking cessation is the main treatment for COPD. Physical activity is an equally important part of treatment to maintain lung function. If you have the diagnosis COPD you will be treated with inhalation
medicine which dampens the irritation and expands the narrowed airways. Inhalation medicine prevents a deterioration of the condition. Some may benefit from expectorant medications.
In case of an acute deterioration of COPD you may need a shortterm treatment with antibiotics and corticosteroids.
COPD status:
If you have COPD, it is important to come for check-ups once a year.