COPD without smoking?

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Dr Helen Webberley
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by Dr Helen Webberley on Tue Apr 14, 2015 8:53 am

Re: COPD without smoking?

Hello, thank you for posting your interesting question. You have hit the nail on the head, that it can sometimes be very difficult to distinguish between the respiratory illnesses because they all have such similar symptoms of cough, breathlessness and wheeze.

Although we associate COPD classically with smoking, it can be caused by other lung irritants, and chemicals are often blamed.

The facilities for diagnosing lung conditions is getting better all the time, and these days most GP surgeries have spirometry machines which can helpt to decide between a 'restrictive' pattern such as asthma, or an 'obstructive' pattern such as COPD. This may not have been as available when your Mother was being treated.

If your son doesn't smoke then he is very unlikely to get COPD (although of course it would be better if he didn't inhale other people's smoke too, as this is not only damaging, but can exacerbate his asthma).

Asthma is often worse during exercie and cold weather when the 'restriction' seems to get a bit worse.

I hope this helps, Dr Webberley
Dr Helen Webberley
NHS GP and Director of www.MyWebDoctor.co.uk
MBChB MRCGP MFSRH DipGUM DipIPM
http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... berley.php

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Professor Jeremy Brown
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by Professor Jeremy Brown on Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:26 pm

Re: COPD without smoking?

To answer the first question, no your mother did not have COPD as that (in the UK at least) is pretty much restricted to people who have smoked. However the lung function test abnormalities caused by COPD are also caused by other conditions, and this leads to confusion about the diagnosis and the sloppy use of the term COPD. I am afraid that it will be difficult now to work exactly why your mother had problems with her lungs that caused changes similar to COPD; her job may have been relevant but if so then other people with the same job are likely to have had similar problems.
If your son does not smoke then he will not get COPD, and although asthma can sometimes cause similar changes to the lung function as COPD that is unusual and only occurs after many years of poor control. It does sound like your son's asthma could do with some more treatment during cold weather - cough is one of the main symptoms of poorly controlled asthma. Nowadays the aim of asthma treatment is to try and stop almost all the symptoms, and this may mean that your son needs to take more of his inhalers (especially the steroid inhaler) during 'bad' times of the year.
Professor Jeremy Brown
Clinical Lead of Lung Infection at Breathing Matters
http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... _brown.php

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Vicky Barber
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by Vicky Barber on Fri Apr 17, 2015 11:12 am

Re: COPD without smoking?

Hi Margaret,

I am sorry, I realise this is a very confusing subject.

More and more people are being diagnosed with obstructive lung disease, when they have never smoked.

It is important to recognise that whilst these people will likely be more breathless with exertion in later years, they do not have the same risk factors as people who have COPD caused by smoking i.e. the same rules don't apply.

Asthma is one of the biggest causes of obstructed lung disease in non smokers, quite simply because, if the asthma is not perfectly controlled the airway swells and if this swelling is not reverted back to normal by the preventer inhaler, scar tissue forms and this is known as obstruction.

It is very important to recognise that this can take years to happen and so whilst youth is on your sons side it may be beneficial for him to have a review of his condition.

Both Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation have nurse run telephone helplines.
Vicky Barber
Nurse Manager- British Lung Foundation
http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... barber.php

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