Discerning The Difference Between Asthma And Copd With a Keen Eye

Often people, who don't belong to the medical profession, confuse the two popular respiratory diseases, Asthma and COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), considering them as same.   

Root of Misconception

Taking both the conditions as one is a misconception. One of the prime reasons behind this misconception is the fact that both the respiratory problems share the same symptoms that include wheezing, chronic coughing, and shortness of breath.
 
  Moreover, they also have a big thing in common, which is the inability to get enough air into the lungs. Both cause swelling in airways that leads to difficulties while breathing. Besides, often, both conditions need some of the same pharmaceutical medications for treatment.

  However, looking into them with a closer lens would let you discern the difference between the two. Here we will delve deeper into these respiratory diseases with a keen eye to differentiate between the two conditions. 
  

Asthma vs COPD: Outlining the difference

Asthma is a respiratory disease that is marked by spasms of the bronchi, owing to narrowed or inflamed airways in the lungs. While COPD is a respiratory condition that comprises progressive lung diseases including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. 

  In the case of asthma, breathing can revert to normal in the mid of attacks, whereas, when it comes to COPD, usually breathing does not return to normal. Asthma is deemed as a risk factor for developing COPD, which implies that a patient with asthma is susceptible to COPD. 

  Age is another key factor that differentiates between the two conditions. A person of any age can have asthma, but COPD typically occurs in people over the age of 40, though exceptions are possible. Also, COPD produces more phlegm and mucus than asthma. 
 

Asthma vs COPD: Different causes and triggers

Causes and triggers of both the conditions are the major basis of their difference. There are several causes of asthma that are entirely different from those of COPD.   

Asthma can be caused by a combination of inherited and environmental factors. There are many substances that may trigger asthma attacks, such as exposure to some allergens and cold air.   

Some common triggers that may exacerbate asthma include dust mites, pollen, respiratory infections, physical exercise, stress, smoke, sulfites, some medications like aspirin, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), beverages, and preservatives added to some food items.   

Coming down to COPD, one of their chief causes is smoking. People who smoke on a regular basis have higher chances of developing COPD. Smoking makes bronchial tubes and air sacs to lose their natural elasticity and over-expand, which traps the air in the lungs when you exhale, leading to difficulties while breathing. COPD can aggravate because of respiratory tract infections like flu and pneumonia.   

So, now you know the fundamental difference between these two conditions which lies in their causes.     

Asthma vs COPD: Treatment discrepancy

Asthma and COPD are not curable, but they can be controlled with prompt diagnosis and treatment. As discussed earlier, some of the treatments for both conditions are the same. For example, Bronchodilator, which relaxes the muscles around the airway, is recommended for the treatment of both the conditions. Inhaled steroids are also considered effective for both asthma and COPD. 

  Apart from these, the treatment for asthma includes some allergy medications and bronchial thermoplasty, which involves the process of heating the inside of the lungs and airways with an electrode. 

  Whereas, some common treatment for COPD include lung therapies and some surgeries like lung transplant, lung volume reduction surgery, or bullectomy. 

  Final thoughts... Though both the conditions respond to treatment, the efficient functioning of lungs is reversible only in people having asthma. COPD is a progressive disease which implies that it only gets worse with time. 

  Lungs damaged due to COPD can't return to normal, but proper treatment with the right medications can slow the progression of COPD, making it manageable. So, hopefully, now you know how these two conditions differ from each other.