Condition: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Overview

Bookings: bookings.lunghealth@onewelbeck.com

Tel: 020 3653 2006

What is
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a catch-all term for a group of lung conditions. It happens when the lungs and airways become damaged and inflamed.This is a condition that  causes breathing problems. It may go undetected in some people because the symptoms occur slowly over time, making everyday activities typically more difficult.

COPD can cause breathing conditions such as emphysema, which is damage to the air sacs in the lungs, or chronic bronchitis which is the long-term inflammation of the airways.


What are the causes of
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?

There are several factors that might give you an increased risk of COPD. But it is usually associated with long-term exposure of the lungs to harmful chemicals. Therefore, the common causes are:

  • smoking
  • fumes and dusk at work
  • air pollution
  • genetics – (if you smoke and have a close relative with the condition you are more likely to develop it. This suggests some people’s genes might make them more vulnerable to the condition)

Signs and symptoms
of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

f you have COPD you may find that symptoms get worse over time during daily routines. Symptoms might get worse in a quick and sudden fashion, otherwise known as a ‘flare-up’ or an ‘exacerbation’.

The common signs and symptoms of COPD are:

The less common symptoms of COPD are:

Note that symptoms can be indications of something more serious, such as asthma, bronchiectasis, anaemia and heart failure, therefore it is important to seek medical attention, especially if you are a smoker, or are over the age of 35. A simple breathing test can help determine if you have COPD.

so it is important to seek medical attention. If these are symptoms of COPD, it can be an indication that COPD has reached a more advanced stage.


How is
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) diagnosed?

To diagnose whether you have COPD, you doctor at OneWelbeck may examine your chest and listen to your breathing using a stethoscope. They may ask you about your symptoms, and whether you smoke or used to smoke. Your doctor may also calculate your body mass index (BMI) using your weight and height. They may also ask if you have a family history of lung problems.

Your doctor may carry out further tests such as:


How is
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) treated?

While there’s currently no cure for COPD, the sooner treatment begins, the better chance you have of reducing your symptoms as well as the risk of any severe lung damage.

If you are diagnosed with COPD and smoke, the most important thing to do is to stop smoking. Other forms of treatment are inhalers and tablets, which might help make breathing easier. Tables such as Bronchodilator tablets, Mucolytics, Steroid tablets or Antibiotics may be prescribed.

Your doctor may also treat you with pulmonary rehabilitation, which is a specialised programme of exercise and education. In some severe cases, surgery or a lung transplant may be an option. Your doctor at OneWelbeck will discuss the various treatment options with you.


Enquire now

Condition overview
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Causes

Smoking, fumes and dusk from work, air pollution...

Symptoms

Breathlessness, persistent cough, wheezing, recu...

Tests

Chest x-ray, blood test, electrocardiogram (ECG)...

Treatments

Pulmonary rehabilitation, inhalers and tablets

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Specialists

We’ve invited the UK’s best respiratory specialists to join us as partners, with the freedom to make design and delivery decisions based on what’s best for patients.

Bookings are avaliable

Dr Dean Creer

Respiratory Consultant

Specialist expertise: Respiratory Infections, Bronchiectasis, Respiratory Medicine, Asthma, Breathlessness, COPD, Acute and chronic cough, Lung Cancer Screening, Lung Nodules, Tuberculosis, EBUS, Bronchoscopy.

Bookings are avaliable

Dr Sarah Elkin

Respiratory Consultant

Specialist expertise: Respiratory Medicine, COPD, Asthma, Breathlessness, Acute and chronic cough, Lung Cancer, Bronchoscopy, Respiratory Infections, Lung Health.

Bookings are avaliable

Dr Justin Garner

Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: COPD, Lung Cancer, Lung Nodules, Interventional Bronchoscopy, Respiratory Medicine, Lung Health.

Bookings are avaliable

Dr Peter George

Respiratory Consultant

Specialist expertise: Interstitial Lung Diseases, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Sarcoidosis, Post-COVID Lung Inflammation and Scarring, Autoimmune-related Lung Diseases, Breathlessness, Acute and chronic cough, Respiratory Medicine.

Bookings are avaliable

Professor Luke Howard

Respiratory Consultant

Specialist expertise: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET), Pulmonary Embolism, Pulmonary Hypertension, Right Heart Catheterisation, Breathlessness, Exercise Intolerance, Respiratory Medicine.

Mr Simon Jordan

Consultant Thoracic Specialist

Specialist expertise: Lung Cancer, Chest Sarcoma, COPD, Respiratory Medicine.

Professor Onn Min Kon

Consultant Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: Respiratory Infections, Tuberculosis, Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria, Sarcoidosis Interventional Bronchoscopy, General Respiratory Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Asthma, COPD, Bronchiectasis, Sarcoidosis.

Dr Vasileios Kouranos

Consultant Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: Interstitial Lung Diseases, Respiratory Medicine, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Sarcoidosis, Breathlessness, Acute and chronic cough, General Respiratory Medicine, Cardiac Sarcoidosis, Post-Covid Lung Disease, Connective Tissue Disease - Related Lung Diseases.

Dr Neal Navani

Consultant Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: Respiratory Medicine, Endobronchial Ultrasound, Bronchoscopy, Lung Cancer, Acute and chronic cough, Asthma, Lung Nodules, Breathlessness, COPD, Sarcoidosis, Bronchiectasis, EBUS, Exercise Intolerance, Sleep Disorders.

Bookings are avaliable

Dr Brian O'Connor

Consultant Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: Asthma, COPD, Allergic Disease, Lung Cancer, Respiratory Medicine.

Bookings are avaliable

Dr Christopher Orton

Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: Airways Diseases, Lung Cancer, Interventional Bronchoscopy, Respiratory Medicine, Asthma, Emphysema, Acute and chronic cough, Bronchoscopy, EBUS.

Mr Vijay Padmanaban

Respiratory Physiotherapist

Specialist expertise: Asthma, COPD, Bronchiectasis, Interstitial Lung Diseases, Long-COVID-related Breathing Dysfunction, POTS-related Breathing Dysfunction, Respiratory Physiotherapy, Respiratory Medicine, Physiotherapy.

Bookings are avaliable

Dr Amit Patel

Respiratory Consultant

Specialist expertise: Breathlessness, Fibrosis, Sarcoidosis, Sleep Apnea, Asthma, Acute and chronic cough, Respiratory Medicine, COPD, Lung Cancer, Respiratory Failure, Interstitial Lung Diseases, Bronchiectasis.

Bookings are avaliable

Professor Michael Polkey

Respiratory Consultant

Specialist expertise: COPD, Sleep, Snoring, Home Ventilation, General Respiratory Medicine, Respiratory Medicine.

Mr Marco Scarci

Consultant Thoracic Surgeon

Specialist expertise: Lung Health, Thoracic Surgery, Respiratory Infections, Lung Cancer, Chest Wall Deformities, Laparoscopic Procedures (Keyhole Surgery).

Professor Pallav Shah

Respiratory Consultant

Specialist expertise: COPD, Emphysema, Asthma, Bronchoscopy, EBUS, Lung Cancer Screening, Respiratory Medicine.

Bookings are avaliable

Professor Suveer Singh

Respiratory Consultant

Specialist expertise: General Respiratory, Sleep and Ventilation Disorders, COPD, Asthma, Lung Cancer, Interventional Bronchoscopy, Intensive Care Medicine, Respiratory Medicine.

Bookings are avaliable

Professor Michael Loebinger

Consultant Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: Respiratory Medicine, Bronchiectasis, Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria, Tuberculosis, Respiratory Infections, COVID/Post-COVID syndromes, Breathlessness, General Respiratory Medicine, Asthma, COPD, Lung Health.

Dr Matthew Hind

Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: Breathlessness, Cough, Respiratory Infections, Sleep, Snoring, COPD, Respiratory Failure, Lung Health.

Bookings are avaliable

Dr Reza Abdullah

Consultant Respiratory Physician

Specialist expertise: Respiratory Medicine, Cough, Breathlessness, Asthma, COPD, Lung Nodules, Lung Cancer, Pleural Effusions, Pneumothoraces, Bronchiectasis, Bronchoscopy, EBUS.

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