What are the treatment options for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Treatment options for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, and lifestyle changes (quit smoking). Watch family medicine physician Jennifer Caudle, DO, discuss treatments for COPD.

Transcript

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We know that over 120,000 people die every year as a result of COPD. [MUSIC PLAYING]

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COPD is a medical condition that can really affect the lungs. It can make it harder for people to breathe.

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This is a very common condition, unfortunately, but can be very dangerous. We know that over 120,000 people die every year

00:25

as a result of COPD. But there are lots of treatment options, which is wonderful. And this is really where your doctor plays a role.

00:33

So first of all, treatments. There's medications, not only pill medications but also inhaled medications that your doctor

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may recommend to you. There's also other treatments, though, that I think are equally as important, or can be, rather. There is what we call pulmonary rehabilitation,

00:48

or pulmonary rehab. Your doctor actually might send you to pulmonary rehab to learn how to better use your lungs

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and the muscles, the rest of the muscles in your body, to help support the lungs, to help you breathe better. This can be a very helpful modality.

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The other thing that's important to keep in mind in terms of treatment is lifestyle changes. If you haven't quit smoking, you need to quit.

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Quitting smoking is one of the most important things that you could possibly do, if you do smoke. So please keep that in mind.

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Also keep in mind that surgery sometimes can be an option. Usually this is reserved for very severe cases. But the other thing that some people

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benefit from is chronic oxygen. So if you've seen people with oxygen tanks and things like this, it doesn't mean that they definitely have to have COPD, but this is certainly one