Introducing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD is a disease of the lungs, wherein the lungs will become damaged or inflamed and this will cause for a prevention of the air flow in and out. The most common symptoms of COPD will be symptoms that include shortness of breath and persistent coughing.

COPD is said to be a serious and chronic illness, which has recently been designated as the number four killer when it comes to illnesses that claim the most lives.

A good 12 million Americans are said to be suffering from COPD and there are many more that may be suffering from this condition, but are not aware of their condition as yet.

Combination of Two Conditions:

Chronic bronchitis is a condition wherein the airways that are responsible for carrying air to the lungs would get affected by inflammation and this would create for a large amount of mucus. This would cause for narrowing or the blockage of the airways; and subsequently make it difficult for the person to breathe normally.

Emphysema as a condition occurs when the small air sacs in a person’s lungs get damaged or lose their elasticity. In the case of a healthy person, these tiny sacs will look like balloons that inflate and deflate as you inhale and exhale. But when emphysema strikes, it would damage their air sacs and then the person will complain of being short of breath.

COPD is said to be a combination of both these conditions and is said to worsen over time.

What are the Causes of COPD?

This condition of COPD is almost always caused due to smoking. Constantly breathing in the tobacco smoke is known to irritate the person’s airways and it is known to destroy the fibers of the lungs which are known to originally be stretchy.

The other factors that may play a role in further damaging a person’s respiratory system would involve constant exposure to chemical fumes, air pollution or excessive dust.  Secondhand smoke is also known to be almost as bad as a person inhaling their own smoke.

In most cases, lung damage will begin showing its symptoms years later; and for this region, COPD is seen to be common in the case of people who are older than the age of 60.

You could fall prey to COPD if you’ve been susceptible to lung infections since the time you were a kid.

The Main Symptoms of COPD:

• Long lasting chronic cough
• Shortness of breath when you exercise
• Mucus which will come up every time you cough

When COPD begins to get worse, the person might be out of breath after doing as simple as fixing a meal or even getting dressed. People with COPD are known to grow weaker and lose tremendous amounts of weight.

COPD exacerbation is when your COPD symptoms suddenly will flare up.  The longer you’ve been a patient, the more prone you will be to these flare ups.

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