Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as seen in a thoracic CT scan.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a term that describes a group of progressive and disabling lung diseases including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the world. More than 15 million Americans have COPD and as a result experience reduced activity levels, reduced quality of life, and a reduced life span. Nine out of 10 cases of COPD are due to a present or past history of smoking.
What is COPD?
COPD is a disease that causes swelling and thickening of the airways, as well as destruction of the delicate air sacs of the lung that deliver oxygen to the blood. While normal healthy lungs are very flexible and elastic, the lungs of people with COPD become scarred and stiffen, making it harder and harder to breathe.
What causes COPD?
Without question, the most common cause of COPD is smoking. Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals that are toxic to the lungs. Inhaling these toxic substances damages the lungs and leads to COPD. Exposure to other inhaled toxins, such as may be found in air pollution or the dust and fumes created in some industries, can also cause COPD. In rare cases, COPD can be caused by genetic or inherited factors, sometimes even in the absence of an inhaled exposure.
What are the symptoms of COPD?
COPD develops gradually over years. At first, COPD causes no symptoms. As it gets worse, people with COPD may have some or all of the following symptoms:
- Chronic cough
- Sputum production
- Difficult or labored breathing
- Wheezing
How do I know if I have COPD?
If you have the symptoms of COPD, or are over 40 and have smoked for longer than five to 10 years, you should ask your doctor if you have COPD. Doctors use a simple test called spirometry to diagnose COPD. This test measures how deeply you can breathe and how fast air moves out of your lungs. You will be asked to take a deep breath in and blow out through a tube.
What treatments are available for COPD?
There is no cure for COPD, but there several things that you and your doctor can do to make your breathing better.
- Medication: There are a variety of medications, many of them in the form of an inhaler, that are used to treat COPD. If you have COPD, you should work with your doctor to find the medications that will help you to breathe easier, be more active and avoid flares of COPD. For times when symptoms are worse, you might need to take additional medicines such as steroids or antibiotics.
- Oxygen: Every person needs sufficient oxygen to fuel their life and activities. In some people with COPD, the lungs are so damaged that they need help to deliver enough oxygen to the body. Using extra oxygen can help decrease breathlessness and increase activity levels.
- Pulmonary rehabilitation: For patients with COPD participation in a regular, supervised exercise program can not only make your body stronger and your breathing more efficient, but it can also teach you how to manage your COPD symptoms.
- Avoid the flu! You should get the influenza vaccine every fall as soon as it is available. In addition, during flu season (late fall to late spring) avoid contact with people and family sick with the flu. You should also ask your doctor about the pneumonia vaccine.
What steps can I take to prevent COPD?
- Stop smoking! The most important thing that you can do it is to quit smoking. Not only will this improve your symptoms, but it will prevent more lung damage from occurring. There are many resources available to help you quit.
- Be smart and informed about environmental exposures in your workplace that may put you at risk.
