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Treating COPD Today
Things these days look better than ever before for COPD sufferers. A slew of rave new therapies encompasses pharmaceuticals, surgeries and many other options. Some are easily accessible to anyone while others are still in experimental phases.
One such development in the laboratory is the use of inhibitors on specific proteases (enzymes) that may be linked to COPD. Peter Barnes is the leader in the developments of these inhibitors which are called retinoids. He and other doctors feel that retinoids may help increase the number of alveoli in the lungs and thus make breathing much easier. To read more about research in this area, check out the DiscoveryDossier website.
Dietary supplements also show signs of hope. N-acetyle cysteine (NAC) successfully treats bronchitis (a disease often found in COPD patients) by breaking down collections of mucus and can protect lung tissue from further damage from carcinogens (found in cigarette smoke). Antioxidants in general help COPD patients with a history of smoking.
Doctors perform and plan to investigate several forms of surgery that can alleviate COPD. Lung volume reduction surgery for one shows potential, while lung transplants are becoming more and more reliable. Postgraduate Medicine Online provides a comprehensive list of available surgical procedures.
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