Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD leads to airflow obstruction in the lung. It causes difficulty in breathing, production of mucus, wheezing, and coughing. If a person has chronic bronchitis or emphysema, these can be contributing factors to COPD. Long-term exposure to particulate matter, cigarette smoke, and irritating gases cause COPD. Due to increasing use of tobacco and increase in air pollution, the number of people diagnosed with COPD is on rising. In the country, nearly 11 million people have been reported with COPD.

If not detected early, COPD can cause severe lung damage. In case the exposure to smoke and gases continue, the condition will worsen over time. The symptoms of COPD occur in episodes known as exacerbations. During an exacerbation, the symptoms aggravate and remain for several days. Here are a few of the common symptoms of COPD that help doctors to diagnose this chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs:

• The person experiences shortness of breath; this mostly occurs while doing strenuous physical activities.
• There is tightness in the chest and wheezing.
• A person with COPD may have excess mucus in their lungs after waking up in the morning.
• There might be a chronic cough accompanied by clear white, green, or yellowish mucus.
• The beds of the fingernails and lips may turn blue.
• The person may have frequent infections of the respiratory system.
• The person may experience fatigue and unexplained weight loss.
• The legs, feet, or ankles may become swollen.

Once COPD has been diagnosed, it is possible to manage COPD and its symptoms with an effective treatment easily. One such treatment method is COPD oxygen therapy.

COPD Oxygen Therapy
Breathing becomes difficult with COPD since the condition causes airflow obstruction in the lungs. Oxygen therapy provides extra oxygen to the bloodstream and the lungs. This helps to alleviate the symptoms of COPD by helping the patient breathe better. COPD oxygen therapy is done through oxygen concentrators, oxygen gas cylinder, and liquid oxygen devices. All these are available as COPD portable oxygen devices; these devices help a COPD patient to carry on their routine work without any restrictions.

COPD oxygen treatment is mostly recommended for patients who have low levels of oxygen in their blood. It improves the quality of life and helps in the prevention of heart failure. COPD oxygen therapy is also used in emergency situations, such as an extreme exacerbation. It is recommended that long-term COPD oxygen therapy is done for a minimum of 15 hours of a day with a limited number of interruptions. Whether used for short-term or long-term, COPD oxygen therapy can be beneficial in some ways:

• Extends life : For people with extremely low blood oxygen levels, long-term oxygen therapy can prolong life. Oxygen therapy should be done for 15 to 18 hours, or as prescribed by the doctor. It has been observed that the survival rate increases by two-fold for patients who undergo COPD oxygen therapy when compared to patients who do not undergo the therapy. The therapy is effective only when the supplementary oxygen is taken continuously without any interruptions or with very minimal interruptions.
• Alleviates breathlessness : One of the most troublesome symptoms of COPD is breathlessness. This symptom leads to excessive discomfort; breathlessness can be extremely debilitating for a COPD patient. It becomes difficult for the patient to carry out daily tasks; the person may become socially isolated due to their inability to breathe properly and step outside. With COPD oxygen therapy, the level of breathlessness decreases.
• Improvement in the quality of life : By alleviating breathlessness, the use of supplemental oxygen improves sleeping pattern and maintains balance in the mood. Stamina and mental alertness improve, which lets a COPD patient to carry out their daily routine activities comfortably. This improves the quality of life to a great extent. In case of severe lung damage, oxygen therapy will also prevent failure of the heart.
• Increase in the ability to physical activities : Due to lack of oxygen in the lungs and blood, a person with COPD suffers from low stamina and inability to do physical activities. There is low tolerance for doing even simple exercises. However, doing regular exercise is essential in the treatment of COPD. It not only increases the rate of survival but also improves the quality of life. With oxygen therapy, a person with COPD will be able to do simple routine exercises for a longer duration due to increased stamina.
• Better air travel : Traveling by air for COPD patients can be extremely stressful. This is because higher altitudes and fluctuating cabin pressure may cause the oxygen levels to come down rapidly in COPD patients. This is true for COPD patients who do not have to use supplemental oxygen on a regular basis. Oxygen therapy used during air travel can reduce the risk low oxygen levels.