COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It’s a respiratory disease that could be virtually eliminated from the world if we would stop smoking altogether. Imagine that. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis fall under the COPD umbrella.

According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute,

COPD is now the 4th leading cause of death in the United States and also causes long-term disability.

The number of people who have COPD is on the rise — more than 12 million are currently diagnosed with it. And it is estimated that another 12 million may have COPD but not realize it.

The typical person with COPD is over 45 years old and who either smokes or has smoked. Other people who have it may have a genetic risk factor or have been exposed to something in the environment.

Symptoms:

• Chronic cough
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Inability to take a deep breath
• Excess sputum production

If you believe you may have COPD, see your doctor. A test called a spirometry, will tell you what your lung capacity is. It’s a simple test that requires you to breathe into a tube as hard as you can and as long as you can. That’s it.

Treatment

There’s no cure for COPD but there are medications on the market that may help you breathe easier.

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COPD Awareness Month: November

A new trial has found, though, that simple upper body exercises may be one way of helping people with COPD breathe more easily by strengthening the muscles in the chest.

Twenty-five patients with COPD participated in a trial that either had them doing regular exercise or using dumbbells that helped them strengthen their the pectoralis (the thick muscle, in the upper front of your chest), deltoids (the thick muscle responsible for the round shape of the shoulder), triceps brachii (in back of the upper arm), trapezius (spanning the neck, shoulders and back), and biceps brachii (upper arm muscle).

The researchers found that the patients who used the upper body training had better ability to breathe and better ability to perform activities of daily living that involve the the arms, resulting in less fatigue.

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Upper Body Strength Helps Manage COPD

Many people only know that COPD has something to do with breathing difficulties, but don’t really understand what the disease is. This video from National Jewish Health explains to you what COPD is and how it affects your body. Just click on the TV screen below to watch:

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Video Tuesday: COPD

According to WomensHealth.gov (ironic, no?), even though men’s life expectancy is approaching ours, they still need to be extra careful for these reasons:

• Men tend to smoke and drink more than women and generally have less healthy lifestyles.
• Men do not seek medical help as often as women.
• Men tend to join in fearless, risky, dangerous behaviors more than women.
• Men also largely define themselves by their work, which adds to stress and to being disconnected from their emotional side. This can add to problems in relationships, as well as in jobs and careers.

They also report a fascinating list of men’s leading causes of death:

28.4% —> Heart disease
24.1% —> Cancer
5.8% —> Unintentional injuries
5.2% —> Stroke
5.1% —> Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
2.9% —> Diabetes
2.4% —> Flu and pneumonia
2.1% —> Suicide
1.6% —> Kidney disease
1.5% —> Chronic liver disease

Interestingly, here’s the list of women’s leading causes of death:

28% —> Heart disease
21.6% —> Cancer
7.7% —> Stroke
5.3% —> Chronic lower respiratory diseases
3.6% —> Alzheimer’s disease
3.1% —> Diabetes
3.1% —> Unintentional injuries
2.9% —> Flu and pneumonia
1.8% —> Kidney disease
1.5% —> Septicemia

(This is actually a great follow-up to last month’s posts on women’s mental health issues and women’s annual medical exams.)

Are you or one of the men in your life at risk of one of these causes of death? Take preventive action now! The Centers for Disease Control offers a wide array of resources, and your doctor can help you figure out what risk factors are the biggest concern for you.

Also, check out these b5media blogs for topical health information:

• A Hearty Life
• Alzheimer’s Notes
• Cancer Commentary
• Diabetes Notes
• Lively Women (of course!)
• Mental Health Notes

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

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Danger: Top 10 Causes of Death in Men vs. Women