Patient's question:
Recently, I've been experiencing chest pain and tightness in my chest. The hospital examination indicated a respiratory disease, but the medication hasn't been very effective. Recently, my cough has worsened. Could you please explain the difference between asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?Doctor's answer:
The onset of asthma is generally seen in adolescents and is triggered under certain stimulating conditions. Chronic bronchial asthma, on the other hand, is typically diagnosed based on symptoms such as coughing, phlegm, and shortness of breath that persist for more than three years after the onset of autumn, with symptoms naturally subsiding in the spring. In terms of treatment, the approaches for both conditions are quite similar, primarily focusing on eliminating bronchial spasms and using corticosteroids as the main medications.