Chronic Airways Disease is not a single disease but a collective term for a group of similar afflictions. This group of diseases is also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This condition can affect a person's life a severe way, but physiotherapy is a good wat to combat these ill effects.



Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are members of this notorious group of diseases. Other conditions that affect a person's breathing pattern are also part of this group. Smoking is a contributing factor to the development of this condition in a person, but even non-smokers may be affected because of the presence of irritants in the air. Age is also a factor, as these diseases are most common among older people.

The evident symptoms of this disease include wheezing and frequent coughs, besides the prevalent shortness of breath. There is a generous discharge of sputum, which often has traces of blood. Lack of oxygen in the body causes a bluish tinge to appear on the person's extremities, and the same lack may also lease cardiac issues.

Physiotherapy can help alleviate the complications arising from chronic airways disease. The way a person breathes, if corrected, can reduce the issues arising from this disease. A physiotherapist can train a person to breathe differently, enabling him to inhale enough oxygen required by the body but without being reduced to wheezing and coughing to meet the lung's demands. This is nothing short of a boon for a chronic airways disease patient.

A method known as clapping and postural drainage is also beneficial to a patient suffering from chronic airways disease. Physiotherapists ensure postural drainage in this simple method by ensuring that the damaged lung is positioned above the trachea by this simple method.

It is possible to carry out this procedure at home. The person must lie supine on a bed. He must bend his upper body such that the top part of the body is over the bed. A physiotherapist can teach a patient this method so that drainage of the affected lung takes places without any problems. It does not take very long to learn this method and soon a patient is able to do it without assistance.

The second part of the procedure, known as clapping is also known as chest percussion. The patient's back is clapped with a cupped to induce secretions within the chest to loosen. This however cannot be carried out without assistance and the physiotherapist teaches it to a person taking care of the patient.

Weakened legs can also arise from chronic airways disease. Continues shortness of breath prompts patients suffering from the disease to refrain from walking or other physical exercise that is necessary to keep the legs fit. Physiotherapy can address this issue by making the patient walk the treadmill or cycle on a stationary bike. This treatment though, is possible only if the patient is able to do the exercises at all.

As with legs, exercising the arms of a patient is equally necessary. Everyday activities involve the use of arms more than any other part of the body. Physical therapy can strengthen the patient's arms and also induce easier breathing.

A therapist well versed in the knowledge of the disease must carry out physiotherapy treatment of patients suffering from chronic airways diseases. As newer treatments are discovered and perfected, older methods must be left behind in favor of the newer ones. The treatment itself benefits the patient, and physiotherapy staff who can carry out the treatments correctly can significantly improve the condition of a chronic airways disease patient.