What is the difference between copd and bronchiectasis?

We take our lungs for granted. We do. They’re there, inside us…breathing away without so much as a “thank you.” But sometimes, things go wrong down there in the ol’ respiratory system. Sometimes, we get conditions like COPD or Bronchiectasis. If you’re here reading this article, chances are you’ve been diagnosed with one of these two conditions and now you’re wondering: what’s the difference between them?

Well my wheezing friend, fear not! In this informative (and dare I say hilarious?) article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about COPD and Bronchiectasis.

Let’s Start With The Basics

Firstly- if your breathing isn’t normal but it feels quite different than others then just checkup with physician whether its asthma or something else.Bronchial tubes are kind of essential highways that help air make their way into lungs. Troubles arises when those highways narrows themselves resulting in dirty stuff to enter in their environment which eventually leads to inflammations due to infection.

With age various problems comes either they have prolonged smoking history,frequent pollution exposure,some genetic factors.Lung function is compromised by both bronchitis & emphysema which are major part of copd ,whereas inflammatory damage stretched months or even year is long lasting.Or but experts believes that as compared to bronchiecstasia,COPD is more obstructive type of lung disease caused by many reasons including smoking,pollution,bacterial infections etcetera.

So What Is COPD Exactly?

COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.The word ‘chronic’,in medical lingo means long standing.This essentially suggests that people who have been suffering from respiratory diseases since a very long time has increased risk of developing COPD. When we say it’s obstructive, what that basically means is that airflow in and out from the lungs can have a hard time getting through because the bronchial tubes are narrowed or clogged up with extra mucus – YUCK!

Symptoms Of COPD

Here is an incomplete list of symptoms for COPD:

• Extreme fatigue due to difficulty breathing
• Chronic coughing (that infamous “smoker’s cough”)
• Wheezing
• Repeated Chest infections
• Shortness of breath
  • especially when you exercise
    and go upstairs without an elevator

All these symptoms occur as air passages get narrower & lung tissue progressively weakens.They begins repeating patterns as time passes by . A person suffering from such conditions may just feel serious shortness of breath than usual.Its worth checking if these are occurring more often than not.

OK, Now What About Bronchiectasis Then?

Bronchiectasis on other hand Typically a lesser-known medical term that denotes enlargement/dilatation which occurs inside normal airways despite its healthy life style/age.The damage done to the wall of the bronchial tube during bacterial attack will results in inefficient working over course.Because there exist no growth factors their repair process takes several months resulting in infection.However this ailment generally take years or many months before reveals any significant impact.

Symptoms Of Bronchiectasis

Now listen up, because here’s where things really start to differ between COPD and Bronchiectasis. Some common symptoms include:

• Daily production of mucous-like phlegm/cough
  making quite difficult specifically after waking up

The root problem wouldn’t be reflecting all those common medical issues.In severe cases,muscle wasted away,hemoptysis(bringing up blood) reduced oxygen concentration level and shortness of breathe have been recognised in relative medium age.

In contrast to COPD,it is mainly caused by some genetic abnormalities,immunological problems or even infectious disease while one commit less risk after being exposed to smoke or fumes.It may also make astmatics worse,something very dissimilar to copd.

The Main Differences Between COPD and Bronchiectasis

While many symptoms are common with both these conditions there exists various points that separates them apart.A detailed description is given below:

Key Difference 1: Causes

As previously mentioned ,most cases of Copd involves actively expelling polluting sensitizer substances,smoking via cigarettes pipe etcetera. But for Bronchiectasis on the other hand comes from mostly gene mutations or narrowed airways due to certain medical emergencies/misuse.The inflammatory response process very prevalent in serious patient but emphysema & chronic pneumonia reflects itself quite differently from those who smokes heavily causing coughing repeatedly over long periods of time.

Comparison Table

Condition	Potential Causes
COPD	Smoking,pollution exposure,bacterial infection
Bronchiectasis	Gene Mutations,Narrow Airways,Immune Disorders

Key Difference 2: Inflammation

We know both bronchitis and emphysema can ensue as a side effect following smoking,Gaining more weight than usual inflammation starts being able worsening it much faster in people suffering from either condition.But with Bronchiectasis,rather involving ongoing inflamation bacterias definitely plays prominent role which isn’t normally present in person dealing with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Comparison Table

Here’s a comparison table summarizing this key difference:

 Warning A potential panic attack could occur any minute



                    =====================================================================  
                                Symptom             COPD                      Bronciectesis 
                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                     
          Shortness of Breath             More prominent later   More frequent & not usual

          Airway inflammation     Yes                        Necessarily

Key Difference 3: Treatment Options

Here’s the deal: while both COPD and Bronchiectasis fall under the umbrella of chronic respiratory conditions, they are quite different in terms of treatment. For example

In case you have been diagnosed with COPD-

• Rehabilitation system can help patient to learn some breathing exercises.
  It makes way less intensive hurdle for them
  • short term or long term inhaler which moves airflow vitamins levels higher than normal
  • Oxygen therapy based on how advanced his/her condition is.

On the other hand ,vaccines such as anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics are commonly used for treating bronchiectasis.The goal over here was speed recovery by killing agents causing disease.Therapeutic aims focus specifically microbial growth plays important part so vital to stay healthy.Hence involving specialist is a must during stage.

It’s worth mentioning that overall lifestyle choices (such as quitting smoking) can make huge difference in managing both these conditions.

Comparison Table:

Here’s a comparison table summarizing this key difference:

                            ==============================================================                 
                                             Treatment        And         Management                                        
                                       ==================================================   
            Diagnosis Method      mainly undertook blood test                                                                     rehabilitation sessions

                                              Common prescriptions  Inhalers                       vaccines    
                                                Physicians            Pulmonologists                               Infectious Disease Specialists

The Bottom Line

All right, we did it! We learned about what distinguishes bronciectesis from copd outside their similarities.Lungs are an incredible organ, allowing us breathe but also just take advantage our physical ability.For each diagnosis,timeline is imperative before outcome affect your well-being.All in applying routine tests,prescription picks and healing seem like informed decisions taking place.But talk frankly to professional for guidance even if scientific beliefs aren’t intended to match your experiences.