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What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: COPD

COPD is a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It is caused by damage to the lungs over many years, usually from smoking

COPD is often a mix of two diseases

   Chronic bronchitis camera (say "bron-KY-tus"). In chronic bronchitis, the airways that carry air to the lungs (bronchial tubes camera) get inflamed and make a lot of mucus. This can narrow or block the airways, making it hard for you to breathe
    Emphysema camera (say "em-fuh-ZEE-muh"). In a healthy person, the tiny air sacs in the lungs are like balloons. As you breathe in and out, they get bigger and smaller to move air through your lungs. But with emphysema, these air sacs are damaged and lose their stretch. Less air gets in and out of the lungs, which makes you feel short of breath

COPD gets worse over time. You can't undo the damage to your lungs. But you can take steps to prevent more damage and to feel better

What causes COPD

COPD is almost always caused by smoking. Over time, breathing tobacco smoke irritates the airways and destroys the stretchy fibers in the lungs

Other things that may put you at risk include breathing chemical fumes, dust, or air pollution over a long period of time. Secondhand smoke is also bad

It usually takes many years for the lung damage to start causing symptoms, so COPD is most common in people who are older than 60

You may be more likely to get COPD if you had a lot of serious lung infections when you were a child. People who get emphysema in their 30s or 40s may have a disorder that runs in families, called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. But this is rare

What are the symptoms

The main symptoms are

    A long-lasting (chronic) cough
    Mucus that comes up when you cough
    Shortness of breath that gets worse when you exercise

As COPD gets worse, you may be short of breath even when you do simple things like get dressed or fix a meal. It gets harder to eat or exercise, and breathing takes much more energy. People often lose weight and get weaker

At times, your symptoms may suddenly flare up and get much worse. This is called a COPD exacerbation (say "egg-ZASS-er-BAY-shun"). An exacerbation can range from mild to life-threatening. The longer you have COPD, the more severe these flare-ups will be

How is COPD diagnosed

To find out if you have COPD, a doctor will

    Do a physical exam and listen to your lungs
    Ask you questions about your past health and whether you smoke or have been exposed to other things that can irritate your lungs
    Have you do breathing tests, including spirometry, to find out how well your lungs work
    Do chest X-rays and other tests to help rule out other problems that could be causing your symptoms

If there is a chance you could have COPD, it is very important to find out as soon as you can. This gives you time to take steps to slow the damage to your lungs

How is it treated

The best way to slow COPD is to quit smoking. This is the most important thing you can do. It is never too late to quit. No matter how long you have smoked or how serious your COPD is, quitting smoking can help stop the damage to your lungs

It's hard to quit smoking. Talk to your doctor about treatments that can help. You will double your chances of quitting even if medicine is the only treatment you use to quit, but your odds get even better when you combine medicine and other quit strategies, such as counseling. To learn more about how to quit, go to smokefree.gov, or call 1-800-QUITNOW 1-800-784-8669

Your doctor can prescribe treatments that may help you manage your symptoms and feel better

    Medicines can help you breathe easier. Most of them are inhaled so they go straight to your lungs. If you get an inhaler, it is very important to use it just the way your doctor shows you

    A lung (pulmonary) rehab program can help you learn to manage your disease. A team of health professionals can provide counseling and teach you how to breathe easier, exercise, and eat well

    In time, you may need to use oxygen some or most of the time

People who have COPD are more likely to get lung infections, so you will need to get a flu vaccine every year. You should also get a pneumococcal shot. It may not keep you from getting pneumonia. But if you do get pneumonia, you probably will not be as sick.

There are many things you can do at home to stay as healthy as you can

    Avoid things that can irritate your lungs, such as smoke, pollution, and air that is cold and dry
    Use an air conditioner or air filter in your home
    Take rest breaks during the day
    Get regular exercise to stay as strong as you can
    Eat well so you can keep up your strength. If you are losing weight, ask your doctor or dietitian about ways to make it easier to get the calories you need

What else should you think about

Flare-ups: As COPD gets worse, you may have flare-ups when your symptoms quickly get worse and stay worse. It is important to know what to do if this happens. Your doctor can prescribe medicines to help. But if the attack is severe, you may need to go to the emergency room or call 911