ASTHMA-COPD OVERLAP

SYNDROME

PRESENTED BY : SUBMITTED TO :
DR. SAKSHI ARORA
AYUSH SINGH
19SMAS1010007
BPT 6TH SEM
BACKGROUND
DEFINITION:
ASTHMA
A LUNG DISORDER CHARACTERISED BY NARROWING OF THE AIRWAYS, THE TUBES WHICH CARRY
AIR INTO THE LUNGS, THAT ARE INFLAMED AND CONSTRICTED, CAUSING SHORTNESS OF BREATH,
WHEEZING AND COUGH.
COPD
COPD IS A COMMON PREVENTABLE AND TREATABLE DISEASE, CHARACTERIZED BY PERSISTENT
AIRFLOW LIMITATION THAT IS USUALLY PROGRESSIVE.
ASTHMA-COPD OVERLAP SYNDROME (ACOS)
ASTHMA-COPD OVERLAP SYNDROME (ACOS) IS CHARACTERIZED BY PERSISTENT AIRFLOW
LIMITATION WITH SEVERAL FEATURES USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ASTHMA AND SEVERAL
FEATURES
USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH COPD. ACOS IS THEREFORE IDENTIFIED BY THE FEATURES THAT IT

SHARES WITH BOTH ASTHMA AND COPD..

SYMPTOMS:
 CLINICAL
FEATURES:
PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH ACOS TYPICALLY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN
PEOPLE WITH ASTHMA OR COPD ALONE AND HAVE REDUCED LUNG FUNCTION. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:

DIFFICULTY BREATHING

EXCESS MUCUS (MORE THAN USUAL)

FEELING TIRED

FREQUENT COUGHING

FREQUENT SHORTNESS OF BREATH

• WHEEZING
• LABORED BREATHING
• COUGHING, WITH OR WITHOUT MUCUS
• TIGHTNESS IN THE CHEST
 WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF AND RISK
FACTORS FOR ACOS?

RESEARCHERS DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHY SOME PEOPLE DEVELOP ASTHMA. YOU MIGHT BE MORE
LIKELY TO HAVE IT IF YOU:

HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF ASTHMA.

YOU SMOKE OR ARE REGULARLY EXPOSED TO TOBACCO SMOKE.

HAVE A PERSONAL HISTORY OF ALLERGIES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY DEVELOPED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

• HAD RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS AS A CHILD.
• COPD IS CAUSED BY LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO LUNG IRRITANTS.
• CIGAR SMOKE, PIPE SMOKE, AND SECONDHAND SMOKE CAN CAUSE COPD, TOO. SO CAN
CHEMICAL FUMES, COOKING FUMES, AND AIR POLLUTION.
• HAVING ASTHMA DOESN’T MEAN YOU’LL DEVELOP COPD. BUT CHILDREN WITH SEVERE,
PERSISTENT ASTHMA ARE 32 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP COPD LATER IN LIFE.
 DIAGNOSIS:
ACOS GENERALLY INVOLVES THESE THREE FEATURES COMPARED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE
COPD ALONE :

1.MORE OF A RESPONSE TO INHALED BRONCHODILATORS

2.INCREASED REVERSIBILITY OF AIRFLOW

3.BRONCHIAL AND SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION FROM EOSINOPHILS, A TYPE OF WHITE BLOOD
CELL.
• TO REACH A DIAGNOSIS, YOUR DOCTOR WILL PERFORM A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND
REVIEW YOUR CLINICAL HISTORY.
• IMAGING TESTS SUCH AS X-RAY, CT SCANS, OR MRI MAY BE NECESSARY.
• A NON INVASIVE TEST CALLED SPIROMETRY, ALSO KNOWN AS A PULMONARY FUNCTION
TEST, TO MEASURE YOUR LUNG FUNCTION.
SPIROMETRY:
 MANAGEMENT:
ALLERGEN AVOIDANCE

ALLERGY MEDICATIONS

INHALED CORTICOSTEROIDS

SHORT-ACTING BRONCHODILATORS

LONG-ACTING BRONCHODILATORS

• PREVENTIVE VACCINES, SUCH AS FLU

• PNEUMONIA, AND WHOOPING COUGH

• DISEASE MANAGEMENT TRAINING

• PULMONARY REHABILITATION

• AVOIDING SMOKE AND OTHER POLLUTANTS

• HEALTHY EATING AND NUTRITION EDUCATION

• LONG-ACTING BRONCHODILATOR COMBINATIONS OR COMBINATION BRONCHODILATOR OR INHALED CORTICOSTEROIDS

• PREVENTIVE VACCINES, SUCH AS FLU, PNEUMONIA, AND WHOOPING COUGH

• OXYGEN THERAPY
BRONCHODILATO
RS:
 LIFESTYLE
MANAGEMENT:
• HERE ARE SOME OTHER TIPS FOR MANAGING ACOS:.

• MAINTAINING A HEALTHY DIET: EATING WELL CAN HELP YOU KEEP UP YOUR STRENGTH AND IMPROVE
YOUR HEALTH. ASK YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND IF YOU SHOULD TAKE
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. CONSIDER WORKING WITH A DIETICIAN OR NUTRITIONIST.

• GET VACCINATED. ADDITIONAL RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES CAN BECOME DANGEROUS. TO LOWER YOUR
RISK OF CONTRACTING INFLUENZA, PNEUMONIA, AND WHOOPING COUGH, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT
VACCINATIONS FOR THESE AND OTHER ILLNESSES.

• AVOID SMOKE AND OTHER POLLUTANTS THAT CAN IRRITATE YOUR LUNGS AND MAKE SYMPTOMS WORSE.

• EXCERCISE: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR HEALTH. BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO OVERDO IT
EITHER. CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR SO YOU KNOW WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE SAFE FOR YOU. ASK YOUR DOCTOR
ABOUT PULMONARY REHABILITATION AND OTHER EXERCISE PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WITH LUNG DISEASE.

• SEEK SUPPORT. WHETHER IT’S FRIENDS AND FAMILY, PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING, OR A SUPPORT
GROUP, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REACH OUT FOR SUPPORT. ALSO MAKE SURE THOSE CLOSEST TO YOU KNOW
ABOUT YOUR CONDITION AND WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY.
PREVENTION:

CAN ACOS BE PREVENTED?

AS FAR AS RESEARCHERS KNOW, THERE IS NO WAY TO PREVENT ASTHMA, BUT

YOU CAN LOWER YOUR RISK OF DEVELOPING COPD. IT’S UNCLEAR IF
LOWERING YOUR RISK OF COPD ALSO LOWERS YOUR RISK OF DEVELOPING
ACOS.

SMOKING IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF COPD, AND IT MAKES ASTHMA MORE

DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. IT CAN ALSO HARM THE HEALTH OF THOSE AROUND
YOU. IF YOU CAN’T QUIT SMOKING ON YOUR OWN, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR
ABOUT SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMS.
THANK
YOU