What is copd?

Lung disease.: COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This has many causes but primarily is associated with long term smoking. Two types are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. There are rarer causes of copd. It is treated by stopping the cause (smoking) and medications to open up the airways (inhalers and such). See your pcp, pulmonologist or other provider of care for this illness if concerned.

Chronic lung disease: COPD is term that includes a collection of lung disease that can affect the airways and/or air sacs of the lung. Common examples include bronchitis and ephysema but many patients can have combinations of both or even a disease that more closely resembles asthma. The most common contributing factor to COPD is smoking.

COPD...: COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is typically caused by smoking and results in chronic airway obstruction as measured on pulmonary function testing. There is no cure but there are treatments to control symptoms. Patients with this disease must quit smoking to decrease airway inflammation and slow disease progression.

Other reasons COPD: 1- in small number of patient who develop COPD at earlier stage of their life, there is a hereditary disease called "alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency". These patient could have never smoked. Also by aging we develop emphysema which is called senile emphysema. Senile emphysema best appreciated on xrays.

Lung disease...: COPD is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This term encompasses both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. This disease is usually due to smoking, but can occur due to other things as well, like black lung disease and alpha one antitrypsin deficiency.