COPDChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

By: Jesse and Courtney

Causes•Working around certain kinds of chemicals and breathing in the fumes for many years •Working in a dusty area over many years •Heavy exposure to air pollution. •Smoking

Structures AffectedTobacco smoke and other lung irritants can lead to inflammation in the bronchial tubes. As a result, the airways produce more mucus than they normally would. Inflammation and excess mucus cause narrow airways which will make it hard to breath and cause you to cough.

Symptoms and Effects

Symptoms include:Coughing up more mucus than usual.A change in the color or thickness of that mucus.More shortness of breath than usual.

Effects:Swelled airways which leads to difficult breathing and can cause more lung damage if not treated

How Common is the Disease?

COPD is a very common disease. Out of every 100 long-term smokers, about 15 to 20 get COPD. Some studies show that up to half of long-term smokers older than age 60 get COPD.

Treatment or Cure•Slow down the disease by avoiding tobacco smoke and air pollution. •Limit your symptoms, such as shortness of breath.•Increase your activity level. •Improve your overall health. •Prevent and treat flare-ups . A flare-up, or exacerbation, is when your symptoms quickly get worse and stay worse.•There is no cure for this disease and no full recovery, you can only help slow it down.

ResourcesLung association- funded by the governmentWebMD- Post put on from many certified doctors and specialists