Basic Difference between COPD and Asthma
Normally, most of us think that COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is another name of the common respiratory problem, asthma. However, according to the medical science there is a fine line of difference between these two ailments.
If you go by the symptoms, then in both situations you will find coughing and wheezing. Even excessive coughing and wheezing may lead to body pain and tightness in the chest, in both the cases. Sometimes, the outcome of these ailments could be as worse as heart failure. Going by the symptoms, it is very hard to diagnose the exact problem – whether it is asthma or COPD?
Even though symptoms are more or less similar in both the cases, there are certain distinct characteristics by which the medical practitioners can diagnose the exact problem. One of these characteristics is the onset of both the ailments. Usually, a person can be affected with asthma in his childhood days or adolescence period. But COPD is the typical outcome of excessive smoking.
In most of the cases of COPD, the patient has been addicted to smoking at some point of time in his life. Generally smokers over the age of 40 are affected with this problem.
Although the basic symptoms are same for both the ailments, but when it turns to acute, the symptoms differ. In case of asthma, wheezing, coughing and tightness of chest increases and the patient feels severe shortness of breath; whereas, the COPD patients get severely affected with infection of the respiratory tract.
As per the recovery process also, there are some differences. Usually the asthma patients feel completely comfortable during the time when there is no attack. Even their lungs also function almost in a normal way. But for COPD patients, it is very rare to recover completely even for a day. To some extent, the situation can be better, by using bronchodilator and quitting smoking.
Since these two ailments are to some extent different in nature, specific treatment is necessary to take care of these diseases. If you feel any of these symptoms mentioned above and you are addicted to smoking, then you should make it sure from your physician, whether you have COPD or not.
