Treatments and medication for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) range from simple breathing exercises to medications and even surgery. COPD occurs when the airways and air sacs in the lungs become inflamed or damaged, most often due to smoking, and is more common after age 45.
Inhalers or nebulizers
If your doctor has prescribed medications for COPD—like an inhaler or nebulizer—make sure you know how to use them and take them as prescribed. Most people find that medicines make breathing easier, keep flare-ups to a minimum, and control coughing and wheezing. These include bronchodilators, which are drugs that open up the airways and make it easier to breathe.
Short-acting inhalers
Bronchodilators come in several varieties. One of the most common, albuterol, is a beta2-agonist that is short-acting and used as a "quick fix" for shortness of breath. People who have all stages of COPD severity keep a short-acting inhaler on hand in case of emergencies. Albuterol is sold in inhalers or as a liquid that can be used in a nebulizer, a machine that creates a fine mist that is inhaled. Examples of brand names are Proventil, Ventolin, and Volmax.
Maintenance therapy
There are also long-acting beta2-agonists, such as salmeterol (Serevent), and Advair, which is a combination of salmeterol and a corticosteroid called fluticasone. Like roflumilast, these long-acting bronchodilators, which are inhaled every 12 hours, are considered maintenance therapy.
Opening up the airways
Anticholinergic bronchodilators can, in some cases, open up the airways even more. One example, tiotropium (Spiriva), also dries up and decreases mucous production.
Oxygen
Oxygen may be prescribed by your doctor for managing advanced cases of COPD. It can be delivered to your home in tanks, or it can be produced by a machine called an oxygen concentrator. Oxygen can come as a gas or a liquid, and how often you get treated is a matter of how advanced your lung disease is and how much trouble you have breathing without assistance.
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