COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
Fatigue in COPD Patients Often Precedes Hospitalization: Study
Low energy is common in people with the respiratory condition
THURSDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Fatigue could be used to predict the risk of hospitalization for people with a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study says.
COPD refers to either emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Besides fatigue, symptoms include coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Symptoms can rapidly worsen, making it hard to breathe, and such COPD flare-ups often put patients in the hospital.
The new study findings could be used by doctors to reduce hospital admissions for people with COPD, which could improve patients' quality of life and decrease the economic impact of the disease, according to the researchers.
They assessed 83 COPD patients and found that those with the most severe fatigue were almost 14 times more likely to be hospitalized within 20 months than those with the least fatigue. And the more severe the fatigue, the longer the hospital stay.
The results indicate that fatigue levels are associated with COPD severity and that fatigue is a strong predictor of hospitalization for COPD patients, the researchers said.
The study was published online June 13 in the European Respiratory Journal.
"There has been little research into the clinical significance of reports of fatigue. Our study has helped to show that patients' experiences of fatigue could be used as a predictor of hospital admissions," lead author Dr. Johanna Paddison, of Repatriation General Hospital in Adelaide, Australia, said in a journal news release.
"As hospitalizations for COPD can impact upon quality of life and have economic consequences, the results of this study have significant implications for the management of COPD," she added.
Fatigue is the second most common symptom of COPD, after breathlessness. Symptoms of fatigue can be physical and mental, such as lack of energy or poor concentration.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about COPD.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/06/14/fatigue-in-copd-patients-often-precedes-hospitalization-study
I thought this might be helpful for some of us.
Easy Breathing to you all,
Love
Holly
Low energy is common in people with the respiratory condition
THURSDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Fatigue could be used to predict the risk of hospitalization for people with a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study says.
COPD refers to either emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Besides fatigue, symptoms include coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Symptoms can rapidly worsen, making it hard to breathe, and such COPD flare-ups often put patients in the hospital.
The new study findings could be used by doctors to reduce hospital admissions for people with COPD, which could improve patients' quality of life and decrease the economic impact of the disease, according to the researchers.
They assessed 83 COPD patients and found that those with the most severe fatigue were almost 14 times more likely to be hospitalized within 20 months than those with the least fatigue. And the more severe the fatigue, the longer the hospital stay.
The results indicate that fatigue levels are associated with COPD severity and that fatigue is a strong predictor of hospitalization for COPD patients, the researchers said.
The study was published online June 13 in the European Respiratory Journal.
"There has been little research into the clinical significance of reports of fatigue. Our study has helped to show that patients' experiences of fatigue could be used as a predictor of hospital admissions," lead author Dr. Johanna Paddison, of Repatriation General Hospital in Adelaide, Australia, said in a journal news release.
"As hospitalizations for COPD can impact upon quality of life and have economic consequences, the results of this study have significant implications for the management of COPD," she added.
Fatigue is the second most common symptom of COPD, after breathlessness. Symptoms of fatigue can be physical and mental, such as lack of energy or poor concentration.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about COPD.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/06/14/fatigue-in-copd-patients-often-precedes-hospitalization-study
I thought this might be helpful for some of us.
Easy Breathing to you all,
Love
Holly
Curt
Thanx for the info...
So once I became aware of this I m able to cope with it.
Jnita, I think my husband is finally understanding how much this takes out of me. He has always been supportive but maybe a bit annoyed at the same time.
DeeDee
Ten years ago I was working and had gone back to college on top of this I was looking after my family and home I had two dogs and did a small bit of voluntary work. I think now that I just burned my self out. I started to get pains and aches I felt anxious a lot of the time, I smoked more to cope with the anxiety. Sorry now that I didn't listen to my body it was obviously telling me to slow down.