Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)

Did you know that an estimated 15 million Americans have this disease that is now considered the third leading cause of death in the US and was sixth worldwide (in 1990)? COPD is also known as:

• chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD)
• chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD)
• chronic airflow limitation (CAL)
• chronic obstructive respiratory disease (CORD)

I will refer to it as COPD which is considered a major cause of disability as it does gradually get worse, ultimately limiting your Activities of Daily Living also known as ADL (see our blog on ADL) and many people could possibly have COPD but are not aware of it, ever heard the saying “information is knowledge”. We live in the information age and have access to good resources filled with information. It is extremely important to stay informed of all health concerns / issues so that you can take good care of yourself.

What you should know about COPD

Healthy lungs

This disease was once called emphysema or chronic obstructive bronchitis. This slow progressive lung disease is caused by damage to the lungs, usually from smoking and long-term exposure to lung and airway damaging irritants. COPD causes shortness of breath (dyspnea), coughing, wheezing, and a buildup of mucus in the lungs.

Approximately 12 million people go undiagnosed or develop COPD. It is imperative that you visit your doctor if any of these symptoms occur and linger for more than several weeks, ask for a lung function test.

Lungs with COPD

It is more common for those 40 and older to develop COPD, it is not contagious and in other words you won’t get it if you come in contact with someone who has it, but if someone in your family has had COPD you are more likely to develop the disease if you smoke. Currently there is no cure however, medical treatments and changes to your lifestyle can slow its progression.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has developed a national campaign called COPD Learn More Breathe Better®. It is highly recommended that you read this series of articles for more detailed information, be sure to click next at the end of each section: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/copd/

Other reference articles:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_obstructive_pulmonary_disease