What do you think caused your COPD?

I had mild asthma as a child. Both parents were non smokers but I foolishly tried smoking when I was 17 and continued to 32. I had a very light smoking habit, smoking only when drinking. It was however a situation where I was drinking heavily at least two nights a week and up to 4 during holidays etc. these were nights out where you could easily smoke a box of 20. This continued for 15 years.


In retrospect I wasn't that confident, smoking and drinking was my outlet and at that time in the late 80's / 90's it was a different scene to today. It was a work hard, party hard environment with less emphasis on sports / fitness etc.


I also had periods where I didn't smoke for months on end. My Pulmo added it up about 5 pack years but it still got me. I thought because my smoking was so controlled and significantly less than others I'd be ok.


I reckon I was particularly sensitive to Cigarette smoke as I always had an asthma attack when I was on holiday as child, reason; lots of people smoking in the hotel.


My mother now has COPD as has my sister and my Grandmother died from Emphysema, all non smokers. I have tested negative for Alpha 1 being MM Genotype & I'm about to get a test organised for my mother.


I was prescribed Asthma med's at 27 which worked well for me but they don't anymore. Despite being diagnosed years ago there's been a recent decline in my condition & FEV1 which has brought all this to the fore.


Once again I'm now feeling so stupid for smoking and I'm dealing with lots of issues at the moment like anxiety, guilt etc. I've just been prescribed a new inhaler in a search to cure my breathlessness that nearly sent me up the wall.


Still can't believe that the light smoking I did compared to others will make me feel off for the rest of my life. Duh!


Lastly I spent 3 hours a day for 10 years stuck in bumper to bumper traffic and worked 10 years in an office where the smoke from the smoking room drifted around the office. As a child I was exposed to fossil fuels from an oil burner and an open fireplace. The city where we lived had a smog problem in the 70's and 80's. It all adds up but unfortunately I'm confident on one thing, the smoking with Asthma is the main issue.


Anyway, I wish you all the best, hopefully there'll be a cure sometime soon but I thought this in 2004 too when diagnosed at 33 years of age-.

With me it was asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and passive smoking my dad's Navy Cut as a baby. My mum went to work, he wasn't able. In the end he had emphysema himself from a lifetime of smoking. But he died of heart failure. It does help me to be on here and not feel so alone with it. Hugs to all.

Smoking at 14, exposure to chemicals, agent orange driving silo bulk transport with much dust, I think this all adds up to where I am today.

What I think contributed to my COPD.
1) parents smoking in home
2) my smoking
3) chicken pox in lungs at age 19 with complications of pneumonia.
4) having 5 chromosomes that relate to higher risk of lung disease. And later finding through my Dna I had numerous red flagged genes that made me at higher risk for lung cancer and COPD. So the smoking before knowing this helped increase the risk of my genetic factors
5) repeated 2-3 times per year bronchitis over lifetime
6) at least 3 pneumonia episodes over lifetime
7) exposure to TB at ago 26
😎 ammonia mixed with bleach exposure
9) VERY destructive MAC infection
10) lung Cancer survivor of 17 years. Interesting note: the scar tissue from my upper left lobe removal was the perfect place for my MAC infection to create an abscess of infection where I had no blood supply.
11) numerous exacerbations
12) environmental exposure to car exhaust fumes in traffic for years
13) California fires and residual ash


All of this has gotten me to my current stage 4 COPD. And although my energy is limited and I get short of breath quite easily, I still keep on keeping on because I want to live. I do the best that I can to keep moving and participating in life’s activities both indoors and out. And I pray regularly for science to catch up and save the millions of us and give us new life.