Today, we know that the rise of asthma and COPD has become more expanded, a long-term chronic lung condition. Worldwide, 339 million people are suffering from Asthma, and approximately 251 million people are suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). We will discuss asthma vs COPD, including types, symptoms, causes, and more.
It can be difficult to say that asthma and COPD are different from each other, because both affect the lungs. But here on the blog, we share some differences between them.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a type of disease that directly triggers a chronic lung condition, including coughing, wheezing, and breathing problems. It is a long-term chronic problem that affects airways in the lungs and blocks air flow. Airways refer to a tube that carries air inhaled and exhaled through the lungs. This disease can affect people of all ages, but especially it can affect children. If someone is a patient of asthma, airways become narrowed or blocked. This may increase the difficulty for air flow in and out of the lungs.
What is COPD(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)?
Worldwide, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) is a condition caused by damage to the airways and other parts of the lungs. This damage creates swelling and other problems in the lungs that block airflow and make it difficult or hard to breathe.
Treatments for Asthma vs COPD
Here are the treatments for asthma and COPD. You can read the differences between them:
Treatments for Asthma Disease
There is no proper asthma treatment, but we can manage and control it with some medications and lifestyle changes. Several people are suffering from asthma, and different patients have different asthma. Your healthcare provider or doctor prescribed you medications according to your health condition. By taking the right medications at the right time, you will recover quickly and you can:
- You can take a proper breath.
- You can see your less asthma symptoms.
- It helps in recovering quickly if you add more activities to your daily routine.
It also includes long-term control medications:
- Bronchial Thermoplasty: This procedure uses radiofrequency waves to decrease the amount of muscle in airways, which can be helpful in increasing airflow in the body. Bronchial thermoplasty is also used for different types of asthma when other medications do not work properly.
- Theophylline: You can consume this as a daily pill that helps to keep the airways open by relaxing the muscles around them. It is not as commonly used as other medications, but it needs regular blood tests.
- Immunomodulators: These medications target specific cells involved in the immune response that help in reducing swelling. It is used to serve moderate asthma when other medications don’t work.
Treatments for COPD(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
COPD is a group of lung conditions that make it difficult to breathe. But still, there is no proper treatment for COPD(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), but you can follow these tips to reduce symptoms.
- You can use quick relief drugs, which can help open the airways.
- Certain long-term antibiotics.
- You need to control drugs to reduce lung inflammation.
Types of Asthma vs COPD
Look at the types of COPD and asthma.
Types of Asthma
Different types of asthma are given below:
Allergic Asthma
Allergic asthma or atopic asthma is a type of asthma that is triggered by allergens such as pollen, dust mites, and pets. If you are suffering from asthma, you need to do a skin prick test or blood test.
Allergic asthma is caused by different factors, such as environmental factors and genetic conditions. Genetic factor plays an important role, if a family member has asthma or atopic asthma, it can increase the risk of asthma.
Non-Allergic Asthma
A Non-Allergic Asthma doesn’t trigger asthma. These only include medication like painkillers, stress, or infections of the respiratory tract. Physical exertion can also trigger asthma attacks, and it is also called exercise-induced asthma.
Seasonal Asthma
Seasonal asthma is simply shown when these factors are affected, including changes in weather, climate, and environment. It is a type of allergic asthma that’s triggered by allergens and shows at different times during the year.
Occupational Asthma
Occupational asthma is a kind of asthma that happens because of dust and other things in the air that someone is exposed to during their job. This substance can trigger an immune system response that changes how your lungs work. Occupational points to a work-related or job-related asthma.
Cough-Variant Asthma
Cough-variant asthma is a type of asthma in which cough is a main variant. It causes a dry cough, which can be better if you can follow proper asthma treatments. You can try inhalers or an inhaler spacer for better relief.
These inhalers work instantly and provide quick relief. Mainly, it’s a dry cough, but some people have a wet cough, or we can say that a cough with mucus.
What are the Types of COPD?
Types of COPD include Emphysema and Bronchitis. You can read below:
- Emphysema: When your alveoli become damaged and enlarged then it causes emphysema. The major symptom is shortness of breath, which means lack of oxygen.
- Bronchitis: Cough is the major symptom of COPD. Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation of your large airways.
What are the Types of Inhalers for Asthma & COPD?
Here is the list of types of inhalers for asthma and COPD:
Inhalers for Asthma Relief
- Metered dose inhalers
- Dry powder inhaler
- Soft mist inhaler
Inhalers for COPD
- Bronchodilators
- Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)
- Combination Inhalers
Symptoms of Asthma & COPD
The table below shows you the symptoms of asthma vs COPD
| Symptoms of Asthma | Symptoms of COPD |
| Wheezing: When airways in the lungs become narrowed or blocked, it creates a sound during breathing. | Fatigue: It means when an individual’s body feels weak or tired. |
| Cough: Cough is a main symptom of asthma. This can make breathing difficult. | Swelling in the ankle, feet: It shows when someone has liver failure, heart failure, etc. |
| Weight loss: When someone feels a lack of oxygen and more carbon dioxide, the body uses more energy. | Mental health problems: People with COPD symptoms report issues, including anxiety and depression. |
| Shortness of breath: When an individual finds it difficult to breathe. | Mental health problems: People with COPD symptoms report issues, include anxiety and depression. |
Causes: Asthma Vs COPD
This table will help you to find the causes of asthma versus COPD.
| Causes of Asthma | Causes of COPD |
| Allergies | Smoking |
| Environmental Factors | Air Pollution |
| Genetic Factors(Family history) | Cough with mucus |
| Respiratory(Breathing infections) | Occupational dust and chemical |
Conclusion
In the above blog, we discussed asthma vs COPD, including treatments, types, symptoms, and causes. There are no major differences, they both target lungs. So, here you can read the full details of the differences between asthma and COPD.