Why do COPD patients need to expectorate?

There are many causes of COPD, including smoking, occupational dust and chemicals, and air pollution. In the early stage of COPD, symptoms such as throat discomfort and expectoration may occur. If there is no timely diagnosis and treatment, or correct diagnosis and treatment methods are not adopted, the condition will get worse. Many elderly patients have difficulty in expelling sputum, and the sputum is not discharged in time, resulting in retention. The harm in the lungs is very terrible. There are many shed cells and tissues, germs, particles, dust, foreign bodies, etc. adhered to the sputum. It will prevent the reproduction of microorganisms in the respiratory tract, make the symptoms spread, and block the airway in the long run which causes hypoxia and breathing difficulties in the body, thereby aggravating the disease.

Why do COPD patients have severe phlegm?

Due to the large amount of sputum and sticky sputum in patients with COPD, when the trachea, bronchi and alveoli of patients with COPD get disease symptoms, the respiratory mucosa is congested and edema, the secretion of mucus is increased, the permeability of capillaries is increased, and the serous fluid is exuded and exuded. The substance mixes with other substances to form a thick phlegm. The important thing is that because the epithelial cells of the bronchial mucosa have many columnar cilia, the cilia of COPD patients have lodging, falling off or dying which cannot move or only can move with lack energy that cannot put sputum into the throat. More and more phlegm accumulates, causing the symptoms of phlegm blockage and choking.

How to properly expel phlegm in patients with COPD?

For COPD patients, smoking is an important cause of COPD exacerbation and sputum symptoms. Smoking cessation is an important intervention to reduce sputum production. In addition to smoking cessation, it is also better to take expectorants for specific patients.

In addition to expectorant drugs, drinking water can also be used, a small amount of times. Increase indoor humidity, humidify the respiratory tract, and change the difficulty of expectoration. Or change the body position and tap the chest to help the patient to expectorate.

Chronic bronchial disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which are common in our lives, are all common respiratory diseases. These diseases can cause serious physical and mental impacts on patients. Family members should pay attention to this matter. Regularly take patients to hospitals to check lung function, improve the awareness of disease protection, and prevent further aggravation of the disease!

COPD is a common and frequently-occurring disease in the respiratory system of the elderly. Especially in winter, when the climate changes drastically and the temperature drops sharply, it is easy to recur because of upper respiratory tract infections, which brings a lot of inconvenience to the life of the elderly. Therefore, once diagnosed with COPD, it is necessary to seek attention in time and adopt professional and standardized diagnosis and treatment methods. COPD patients should insist on daily oxygen therapy at home, mainly 5-liter oxygen generators, and need to monitor oxygen concentration and temperature.