Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a lung disease that is characterized by a persistent reduction of airflow. The symptoms of COPD are progressively worsening and persistent breathlessness on exertion, eventually leading to breathlessness at rest. It tends to be underdiagnosed and can be lifethreatening. The more familiar terms “chronic bronchitis” and “emphysema” have often been used as labels for the condition.
Risk factors
The primary cause of COPD is tobacco smoke (including secondhand or passive exposure). Other risk factors may include:
- indoor air pollution (such as solid fuel used for cooking and heating)
- outdoor air pollution
- occupational dusts and chemicals (such as vapours, irritants, and fumes)
- frequent lower respiratory infections during childhood.
Who is at risk?
Previously COPD was more common in men, but because of comparably high levels of tobacco smoking among women in high-income countries, and the higher risk of exposure to indoor air pollution (such as solid fuel used for cooking and heating) for women in low-income countries, the disease now affects men and women almost equally.
More than 90% of COPD deaths occur in low and middleincome countries, where effective strategies for prevention and control are not always implemented or accessible.
Symptoms
The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease develops slowly and usually becomes apparent after 40 or 50 years of age. The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness (or a “need for air”), chronic cough, and sputum (mucous) production. Daily activities, such as walking up a short flight of stairs or carrying a suitcase, and even daily routine activities can become very difficult as the condition gradually worsens. Sufferers also frequently experience exacerbations, that is, serious episodes of increased breathlessness, cough and sputum production that last from several days to a few weeks. These episodes can be seriously disabling and result in the need for urgent medical care (including hospitalization) and sometimes death.
Diagnosis and treatment
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is usually suspected in people who experience the symptoms described above and can be confirmed by a breathing test called “spirometry” that measures how much and how quickly a person can forcibly exhale air.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is not curable. However, available medical and physical treatments can help relieve symptoms, improve exercise capacity and quality of life and reduce the risk of death. The most effective and cost-effective available treatment for COPD in people who continue to smoke is smoking cessation. Smoking cessation can slow down the progress of the disease in smokers and decrease COPD-related deaths. In some, but not all, people with COPD, treatment with inhaled corticosteroid medicines have a beneficial effect.
The availability of diagnostic and treatment options for COPD differs across varying resource settings. WHO has released a guideline with specific recommendations for COPD management in primary health care in resource-constrained settings.
 kill you?; everything you need to know){kind=link}
Sweet blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get
there! Appreciate it
Hi, constantly i used to check blog posts here early in the morning, as i enjoy to
gain knowledge of more and more.
Awesome, thank you for making us feel useful.
Hoping to see you in one of these days.
Please share our website with your friends
We are a gaggle of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
Your web site offered us with useful information to work on. You have performed an impressive task and our entire community shall be thankful to you.
This is awesome. Thank you.
Keep sharing the good news about us.
Asking questions are actually nice thing if you are not understanding something completely,
but this post offers fastidious understanding even.
We are glad to hear this sir. Thank you
I think the admin of this web page is actually
working hard for his site, because here every stuff is quality based information.
Thank you sir
I constantly spent my half an hour to read this web site’s content
daily along with a mug of coffee.
Quality articles is the key to invite the people to visit the site, that’s
what this website is providing.
I am extremely impressed with your writing skills
and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you
customize it yourself? Anyway keep up the excellent
quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like
this one today.
We love you sir.
Thank you.
Very soon this web site will be famous among all blog people, due to it’s fastidious articles
or reviews
Thank you
Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this site.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s hard to get that “perfect balance” between user friendliness and visual appearance.
I must say that you’ve done a superb job with this. Also, the blog loads super fast for me on Chrome.
Superb Blog!
I think that is one of the most important info for me.
And i am satisfied reading your article. However want to
observation on few normal things, The website taste is great, the articles is really nice :
D. Just right activity, cheers
Greetings from Colorado! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse your website on my iphone during
lunch break. I love the knowledge you present here and can’t wait
to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile
.. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, excellent site!
Appreciating the dedication you put into your site and detailed information you offer.
It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed
information. Excellent read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds
to my Google account.
Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s reallyy informative.
I am going to watch out for brussels. I will appreciate
if you continue this in future.Many people will be benefited from your writing.
Cheers!