Does chronic pulmonary diseases or disorders make people wake up in the middle of the night due to difficulty in breathing? Does this mean that the lungs can’t function anymore, much less about to collapse? Is chronic pulmonary disorder fatal?
Mike_T says:
I know exactly how you feel, I was in a very similar situation. I remember that I was so nervous at that time and I took it out on everyone around me. I didnt know what could I do until, thanks god, I found Smoke Deter. Now I can look back and laugh on myself and in the same time I remember how helpless I was. I hope that I'll never be in the same situation again
COPD is a catch all phase for many lung diseases such as asthma, emphsema, chronic bronchitis and so on. The people who have these types of diseases have hyperactive airways that swell and constrict thus restricting the flow of air both into the out of the lungs. Not only can it cause them to wake at night but can include symptoms like chronic cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, etc. It doesn’t necessaryily mean that their lungs aren’t functioning anymore, just that they aren’t functioning at the normal capacity. The level at which they do work and improve with medication is solely dependant on the type of disorder and the patient themselves. Remember were all individuals. Only in the case of those with severe emphysema do we worry about spontaneous pneumothorax’s (collapsed lung due to air trapped between the lung and the chest wall) due to the bleb structures. As to the fatalities, asthmatics are the ones to worry about the most as most do not take their controller medication as they should and when they have a really bad attack they usually wait to long to go to the hospital and end up dying do to the severity of the attack. Hope that this helps.
Diagnosed with this and no one explained?? You need to go back to the Dr and ask these questions. Chronic means lifelong disease process, pulmonary is lung disease. I’m assuming that sleeping with a CPAP machine will be in the future at the very least.
COPD can cause people to wake in the middle of the night with shortness of breath, but it is an ongoing chronic issue that they deal with constantly. They are typically oxygen dependent and on a host of oral medications and inhalers and nebulizers. Yes, COPD exacerbation can be fatal.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000091.htm
Chronic means it is continuous and doesn’t just last a few days. It is a permanent condition.
No, chronic doesn’t mean immediately life-threatening, though most chronic conditions lead to deterioration over time – often many years.
Only your doctor can determine the likely speed of progression.
Yes, constantly fighting for breath, problems with any exertion such as climbing stairs or even walking, and poor sleep patterns are all possible.
I think if your lucky enough to have a Respiratory Therapist answer this question you should listen to their advise!
Good job Wezy