Overview
Both COPD and asthma cause breathing difficulty, wheezing, and coughing. Asthma is often triggered by allergens and is usually reversible, while COPD is a progressive disease mainly caused by smoking and leads to long-term lung damage.
Disease Summaries
COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is caused by lung damage from long-term smoking or smoke exposure. Airways become narrow, and lung tissue gets damaged, developing bubbles (blebs). COPD patients are also prone to lung infections.
Asthma: A condition where the airways are highly sensitive and overreact to foreign substances or environmental changes. The underlying cause is unclear but may involve genetics. Many triggers for asthma flare-ups include smoke, pollen, dust mite droppings, cold weather, exercise, and viral infections.
Comparing Symptoms
Overlapping Symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Coughing
- Exercise limitations
COPD Specific Symptoms
- Morning cough with phlegm
- Persistent symptoms
- Gradual onset over years
- Smoking history
- Limited reversibility
Asthma Specific Symptoms
- Symptoms triggered by allergens or exercise
- Worse at night or early morning
- Recurrent episodes
- History of allergies or eczema
- Symptoms improve with inhaler use
Treatment Approaches
COPD Treatment Approaches
The most crucial step in treating COPD is quitting smoking. Other medications include daily inhalers to open airways and antibiotics for infections. In severe cases, machines may be needed to supply oxygen or assist with breathing. Surgery may help remove damaged lung tissue.
Asthma Treatment Approaches
Treatment involves identifying and avoiding triggers. The doctor may prescribe different inhalers for different purposes (prevention and rescue). In cases of Severe and Uncontrolled Asthma, biologic therapies should also be considered, which are targeted medications that address specific immune system pathways and reduce inflammation in the airways. Severe attacks can be life-threatening and require emergency medical care.
Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Eisaku Kamakura, MD (Pulmonology)
Dr. Kamakura graduated from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, School of Dentistry, and the Niigata University School of Medicine. He trained at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital and held positions in the Respiratory Medicine departments at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ome City General Hospital, and Musashino Red Cross Hospital. In 2021, he became the specially appointed assistant professor at the Department of General Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine.
Content updated on Mar 27, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Buc M, Dzurilla M, Vrlik M, Bucova M (2009). Immunopathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Archivum immunologiae et therapiae experimentalis.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19688187/Nakagome K, Nagata M (2011). Pathogenesis of airway inflammation in bronchial asthma. Auris, nasus, larynx.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21334836/Hurst, J. R., Anzueto, A., & Vestbo, J. (2017). Susceptibility to exacerbation in COPD. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(17)30307-7/abstract