COPD Knows No Age
The longer that I’ve been in this COPD world, the more opportunity I have had to talk with others that have COPD. I may have met only a few dozen or so younger people that have been diagnosed with COPD. I never kept count, yet I still chat with a few of them.
Exposures leading to COPD
One frustration that I have heard is, “I’m only 20, 30, or even 40; my doctor says that I’m too young to have COPD”. How sad that is? Their own doctor doesn’t stand by them. Thankfully, they were able to find a doctor who cared, listened, and tested accordingly. When talking with these individuals, they told me about what they had been exposed to in their lives. Most never smoked. Yet, some contracted COPD. Through discussion, I learned that most were exposed to some or all of the following potential triggers:
- Second-hand smoke
- Mesothelioma
- Asbestos
- Chemicals
- Dust
- Mold
- Other environmental exposures
Can you think of any other common ones we should add to this list?
My experience with exposures
Unfortunately, I was exposed to a number of common COPD triggers as well. They include:
- Smoking was my choice, for a number of years.
- Chemicals and dust were job related.
- Sleeping and being in buildings with diesel vehicles were job related.
- Being around fires and chemicals was job related.
- I was a city girl - lived in a town of 23,000 people - yet visiting and being on the farm brought chemical exposure.

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