Non-Pharmacological Management
of Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary
Disease (COPD)
By Dr. Sudhir Prasad
Our 300 bedded L. B. Nagar
Hospital consists of seven-
operation theatres with advanced
quaternary care facility with
state-of-the-art
infrastructure
certified by NABH, NABL &
HALAL. The hospital caters to
several key specialties including
oncology, neurosurgery, and liver
diseases besides various ailments.
It brings advanced technologies
that drive new and more effective
treatments. Aware Gleneagles
Global Hospitals cater to several
overseas patients suffering from
various disorders such as liver
ailments, kidney failures, breast
cancer, leukemia, neurological
disorders amongst others. We
have an international reputation
as a center of excellence for
advanced clinical care.
COPD is the fifth leading cause of death
as per World Health Organisation 2002
report and likely to be the third leading
cause by 2030. It is not only deaths, but
the financial burden on individuals and
the countries is huge. Regular follow-up
with the doctor and taking medication
regularly is one part.
C
hronic
Obstructive
Pulmonary disease (COPD)
is a chronic inflammatory
condition of the lungs
causing obstructed airflow from the
lungs (previously known as Chronic
Bronchitis and Emphysema). Most
common symptoms are chronic cough,
sputum production and breathing
difficulty. Risk factors for COPD are
smoking, indoor air pollution (biomass
fuel used for cooking and heating),
outdoor air pollution and occupational
dusts and chemicals (vapors, irritants
and fumes).
Non-pharmacological
interventions
(Pulmonary rehabilitation) which are
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Volume 4 | Issue 1 | January-March 2019
useful in the management are:
Smoking
cessation-
most
important, it helps in further decline
of lung function and symtom
improvement.
Diet- those with high BMI (body
mass index) increased work of
breathing - should lose weight.
Those with low BMI-with reduced
muscle mass will have weakness:
nutritonal
supplementation
advised.
Exercise-
increasing
muscle
strength, breathing techniques -
such as Pranayama are proven to be
helpful.
Occupational safety- strategies
aimed at reducing the burden of
inhaled particles and gases.
Vaccination- flu vaccination and
pneumococcal vaccines help in
reducing excaerbation of COPD.
About Aware
Hospitals
Gleneagles
Global
Aware Gleneagles Global Hospitals is
part of Parkway Pantai, a fully owned
subsidiary of IHH Healthcare. In India,
we operate as a chain of multi-super
specialty hospitals offering tertiary
and quaternary healthcare services
with over 2,000 beds and state-of-the-
art, world-class hospitals in Bangalore,
Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
We aim to strengthen and expand
our leading market position as a
destination for multi-organ transplant
for patients from India, Africa, Middle
East and South East Asia. We are
committed to further our aspiration
of making quality healthcare more
accessible to all. Website: http://
gleneaglesglobalhospitals.com/
Dr. Sudhir Prasad MD, EDARM
Senior Consultant Pulmonary
& Sleep Medicine
Aware Gleneagles Global Hospital