What is COPD? Chronic obstructive...

What is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD for short) is a lung disease that causes you to have les air when you breathe. There are brace main illnesses in COPD: chronic bronchitis (say: bron-KIE-tiss) and emphysema (say: em-fa-SEE-ma).

Your lung have couple main parts: bronchial tubes (also called airways) and air sacs (see drawing). When you breathe in, air stirs through your airways and into your air sacs. Oxygen goe into your offspring from your air sacs.

If you have chronic bronchitis, the lining in your airways learns red and full of mucus. This stops your airways and makes it hard to breathe.

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If you have emphysema, your air sacs are irritated. They master stiff and can't hold enough air. This makes it hard for you to commit to memory oxygen into your blood.

What causes COPD?

The chiefly common cause of COPD is smoking. Sometimes things in the air that you breathe can cause COPD Construction workers and miners are couple examples of people whose piece of works make it more likely for them to memorize COPD. Ask your doctor if you think you are breathing in things at work that might make it hard to breathe.

by what means do I know if I have COPD?

race with COPD usually cough up mucus and have disturb breathing. If you have these question s for a long time, and if you effluvium or used to smoke, you might have COPD Your doctor can make known you if you have COPD by dint of asking you questions and examining you. You also may ne special tests

What can I do about my COPD?

There is no remedy for COPD, but there are things you can do to be excited better. If you smoke, the greatest in quantity important thing you can do is quit. This can stop or at least dull down the damage to your lung put to proof not to be around persons who are smoking. Stay away from things in the air that can make you sick (for example, dust or chemicals). Your doctor can give you medicine to make you be stirred better.

Where can I learn more information?

Your doctor

American Lung Association

Web site: http://www.lungusa.org

Telephone: 1-800-586-4872

American Thoracic Society

Web site: http://www.thoracic.org

Telephone: 212-315-8600

Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive

Lung Disease

Web site: http://wwwgoldcopdcom

February 2006

COPYRIGHT 2006 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group