When you have a disability or chronic illness, one of the most important things you can do is to learn as much as you can about it.  The more you know, the easier it should be to get a handle on those days when you feel like it is a constant battle and you are not sure you are winning.

Knowing the language or words that go with COPD/Asthma is a great way to start or to continue to refresh a person’s knowledge of the ins and outs of the lifelong health companion which we are dealing with.

With all that in mind, let’s discuss the word ‘Exacerbations’.

‘Exacerbations’ is a reference to an increase (many times sudden) in the severity of symptoms, including an increase with a person’s difficulty in breathing.  Depending on the severity, some acute ‘exacerbations’ may require a visit to the doctor or in some cases the hospital.

For someone with asthma, ‘exacerbations’ would mean you are having a sudden attack which is most likely being caused by a personal trigger such as exercise, cold air and/or allergens such as pet dander or pollen.  For those with asthma, more often than not, when the trigger or triggers are removed the opportunity for the symptoms to clear up increase substantanially and the person will start returning to feeling normal.

Now if you are someone with COPD, then ‘exacerbations’ will most likely kick in when caused by common trigger such as a respiratory infection like from a cold or the flu.  In some circumstances an ‘exacerbation’ trigger from secondhand smoke and/or high humidity will make your COPD symptoms much worse.

The big difference if you have COPD and not Asthma is that with COPD – when you remove the respiratory infection and/or ‘exacerbation’ trigger that alone will not make the symptoms of COPD go away as they would with Asthma.

ONE THING TO REMEMBER is that it’s possible to have both Asthma and COPD, which could make the symptoms of both diseases worse and in many ways harder to control.

In your own individual battle with COPD and/or Asthma, be sure to learn and understand the words of importance in understanding what is going on within these battles and today that word to know and understand is ‘Exacerbations’.

As always – if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.

Remember always that without breathing a person is without life itself.

With that I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer, reprinting or reuse of this article is restricted without written permission.)

Know that you can follow all the writings by CrossDove Writer pertaining to COPD/Asthma by following at wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

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(Information gathered from various books and internet sources discussing COPD, Asthma and other lung diseases)