Difference Between Asthma And Copd Table

And smokers are particularly likely to suffer from a combination of both asthma and copd.

Difference between asthma and copd table.

One main difference is that asthma typically causes attacks of wheezing and tightness in your chest. In fact several adults who actually suffer from copd have been mistakenly diagnosed with asthma. A big difference is that those with copd usually have to take treatment every day and are almost never without symptoms. Copd is almost always associated with a long history of smoking while asthma occurs in non smokers as well as smokers.

Asthma attacks can usually be prevented by avoiding the triggers that cause them. Smoking can also make asthma worse. There are a number of other differences between copd and asthma as well. Copd flare ups cannot easily be avoided.

Copd symptoms are usually more constant and can include a cough that brings up phlegm. The spirometry history should include post bronchodilator measurements the degree of reversibility and ideally home monitoring which gives a history of diurnal variation. Both asthma and copd chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are respiratory diseases characterized by obstruction to the airway but asthma is typically diagnosed in childhood while copd is usually diagnosed in adults over 40 with a history of smoking. Another difference between asthma and copd is the intermittent symptoms seen with asthma versus the chronic progressive symptoms seen in copd.

With copd the cough is more productive. People with asthma can often go for some time without symptoms or the need for treatment. Initial symptoms can be similar in both diseases for example shortness of breath chest tightness wheezing and cough which can lead to confusion or misdiagnosis. Asthma symptoms are likely to occur after exposure to specific triggers whereas copd symptoms occur more regularly.

Copd is mainly due to damage caused by smoking while asthma is due to an inflammatory reaction.