Respiratory Conditions Linked to COPD...Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease that affects the lungs and breathing system (also called the “respiratory system”). People with COPD very often have other respiratory conditions: People...
Metabolic Conditions Linked to COPD...People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have problems that are linked to the body’s metabolism and nutrition. Metabolism is the group of chemical processes in the body that...
Cardiovascular Conditions Linked to COPD...It is common for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to also have medical conditions that involve the cardiovascular system. The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart...
Conditions Linked to COPD - Overview...People living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have other health conditions as well. COPD and other conditions can be related in different ways: Sometimes, the other condition can...
Healthcare Team Who Treats COPD...Treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can involve an entire team of healthcare providers. Each member of the team has a unique and important role in helping a person with...
COPD and Workplace Pollution...Breathing in tiny particles called “irritants” can damage the lungs. This kind of lung damage can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The most common irritant that causes COPD is...
COPD and Air Pollution...Indoor and outdoor air pollution have many negative health effects. This includes a higher risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with higher exposure to air pollution have a...
Who Is at Risk for COPD?...Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is also known as COPD. COPD is a chronic lung disease that results from damaged lungs and airways. COPD develops slowly over time. Smoking is the...
COPD and Genetics...Some people are born with a rare condition called alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT deficiency). Having AAT deficiency causes a high risk of getting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). When people...
Smoking (Number-One Risk)...Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worldwide. The majority of people with COPD are current or former smokers. There is a huge amount of...
Causes & Risk Factors...Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often caused by inhaling irritants. Of all inhaled irritants, COPD is most commonly caused by smoking. It can also be caused by inhaling fumes...
Explaining the COPD stages...When people first receive a diagnosis of COPD, they take special breathing tests to find out which of the four stages of COPD that they currently have. Stage I is...
Finding Out Your COPD Stage...If you are diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), your doctor will also determine your COPD stage. A COPD stage is sometimes called a COPD grade or a GOLD...
COPD Stages...If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), your doctor may have told you which stage you are in. Doctors use COPD stages to determine treatment and track how the...
Acute Exacerbations...A chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) exacerbation happens when someone’s symptoms suddenly get much worse than normal. Exacerbations are also called COPD attacks or flare-ups. During a flare-up, someone with...
Statistics...It is estimated that more than 250 million people in the world may have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This number is just an estimate because it is hard to...
COPD Conditions: Chronic Bronchitis & Emphysema...People who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may have symptoms of 2 different conditions: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Those 2 conditions are usually classified under COPD because most people...
How Healthy Lungs Function...Our lungs are a pair of organs that sit in our chest on either side of the heart. Both lungs work the same way, but the left lung is naturally...
COPD Basics...Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic (long-term) disease that makes it difficult to breathe. It is a term that covers several lung diseases, most commonly chronic bronchitis and...