Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic, treatable lung disease in which the airways become narrowed and restrict airflow out of the lungs, making breathing very difficult. The condition is most often caused by smoking cigarettes. The two most common forms of COPD are: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Although these diseases often occur together, you may have symptoms more characteristic of one than the other. Typically, patients with COPD have chronic shortness of breath and a chronic cough, frequently with coughing up phlegm.

Chronic Bronchitis

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Chronic bronchitis is characterized by inflamed airway tissue and excessive mucus production. This leads to a persistent, productive cough that lasts for several months each year. Sometimes the large and small airways of the lungs become narrowed, and the lining of the passageways may become scarred. This makes it hard to move air in and out of your lungs, resulting in shortness of breath.

Emphysemic Lung

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In emphysema, the walls between the tiny air sacs in the lungs lose their ability to stretch, and they become weakened and break. As the lung tissue becomes less elastic, air is trapped inside the air sacs, and the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is impaired.

The major cause of COPD is smoking, with 80%-90% of all COPD being caused by cigarette smoking. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. The American Lung Association estimates that more than 12 million people have COPD, but this number could be up to 24 million since some people may not even know they have it. Deaths from COPD are greater among women than men. Sometimes people can miss the early warning signs of COPD, like shortness of breath. Missing these early warning signs often means that the disease is not found until much later and when it has worsened. When COPD is found early, there are treatments available to help manage the disease.