COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. "Progressive" means the disease gets worse over time. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms.

COPD develops slowly and symptoms often get worse over time. Severe COPD may prevent you from doing even normal everyday activities like walking, cooking, or taking care of yourself. Most of the time, COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged or older people, although it can be diagnosed in younger adults.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD, although certainly not the only cause. Most people who have COPD smoke, used to smoke, or have been exposed to second-hand smoke for extensive periods, and are at risk. Long-term exposure to other lung irritants, such as air pollution, asbestos, chemical fumes, or dust, also may contribute to COPD.

Overview

To understand COPD, it helps to understand how the lungs work. The air that you breathe goes down your windpipe into tubes in your lungs called bronchial tubes, or airways. The airways are shaped like an upside-down tree with many branches with tiny air sacs called alveoli at the ends. The airways and air sacs are elastic. When you breathe in, each air sac fills up with air like a small balloon. When you breathe out, the air sac deflates.

In COPD, less air flows in and out of the airways because:

• The airways and air sacs lose their elastic quality (and are less able to expand or contract)
• The walls between many of the air sacs are destroyed (and cannot hold air)
• The walls of the airways become thick and swollen (and lose their flexibility)
• The airways make more mucus than usual so they get clogged

Healthy Alveoli and Damaged Alveoli

Outlook

COPD is a major cause of disability, and it's the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD and an additional 12 million likely have the disease and don't even know it. There are many drug and lifestyle options to help treat and manage COPD, but currently there is no specific cure.

Testing / Screening

There are several simple breathing tests that assist with the diagnosis of COPD. The two most common tests are:

• Spirometry Testing - During this simple test, a technician will ask you to take a deep breath in and then blow as hard as you can into a long tube connected to a small machine. The machine will measure how much air volume your lungs can hold.

• Peak Flow Meter - During this test, you blow into a small, hand-held device called a peak flow meter, which can be used at home or in a doctor's office. The meter shows how well air moves out of your lungs. People who have asthma sometimes use this device.

More information on the results of these tests can be found at the Surgery Encyclopedia

If you want additional information on COPD, an excellent resource is the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute.