COPD, or chronic obstructive lung disease, is a lung disease that continues and affects breathing. "Chronic" means that this disease gradually worsens the person.
COPD can cause coughing, large amounts of phlegm, wheezing, short breaths, tightness in the chest and more symptoms.
Smoking is the main cause of COPD. The majority of people who develop COPD are either smokers or have smoked in the past. Long-term exposure to lung irritants such as air pollution, chemical smoke, dust or smoke can play a role in the development of COPD.
In order to understand COPD, it may be helpful to first learn how our lungs work. The place where we take the air we take from outside through the trachea to our lungs is called the bronchus or respiratory tract.
In our lungs, our bronchial tubes are divided into thousands of sections. The thin tubes are called bronchioles. These tubes are located at the end of the large amount of air sacs. These sacs are called alveoli.
Small blood vessels are called capillaries. These vessels act as walls with the air sacs. When the air reaches the sacs, the oxygen in the air sends blood to the walls in the air sacs through the capillaries. At the same time, carbon dioxide (useless gas) goes from the capillaries to the air sacs. This process is called gas exchange.
The respiratory tract and air sacs are elastic. When you breathe in, each air sac fills with air just like a balloon. When you breathe out, the air in these sacs is emptied and expelled.
The respiratory tract and air sacs are elastic. When you breathe in, each air sac fills with air just like a balloon. When you breathe out, the air in these sacs is emptied and expelled.
In COPD, the weakness in breathing occurs for the following reasons:
The respiratory tract and air sacs lose their elastic quality.
Most of the animals die in the air sacs.
The walls of the respiratory tract thicken and become inflamed.
The respiratory tract produces more phlegm than normal and causes it to become blocked.
COPD is a major disease that can cause disability. It is the 3rd most common disease in America. More than 12 million people have been diagnosed with COPD. Many people may have this disease but are unaware of it.
COPD develops slowly. Its symptoms usually worsen day by day. This condition can make it impossible for you to do the things you do in your routine life. COPD pain can even affect your basic activities in your normal life; walking, cooking or taking care of yourself...
Most of the time, COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged and older people. This disease does not pass from person to person. You cannot catch COPD from another person.
There is no cure for COPD yet and doctors do not know how to reverse this disease. However, treatments and changes in your lifestyle can make you feel better, such as staying energetic and slowing down the disease.
