Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease that gets worse over time. It makes it hard to move air in and out of the lungs. Smoking is the most common cause of the disease. Other causes are genetics and problems with the way the lungs were formed.
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are two common forms of COPD. They often happen together, but a person may have one more than the other.
| Chronic Bronchitis |
 |
| Copyright © 2002 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. |
People with chronic bronchitis have inflamed airway tissue and make more mucus than needed. This leads to a lasting cough. The inflamed tissue causes airways to narrow. They may also become scarred. This leads to breathing problems.
| Normal Lung and Emphysemic Lung |
 |
| Copyright © 2002 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. |
With emphysema, the walls between the tiny air sacs in the lungs lose their ability to stretch. With time, they become weak and break. This traps air inside the air sacs and makes it hard for the body to get oxygen.
What are the risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?What are the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?How is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosed?What are the treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?Are there screening tests for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?How can I reduce my risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?Where can I get more information about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?References
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). American Lung Association website. Available at: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.
COPD. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.
What is COPD? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute website. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.