Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

COPD

According to COPD International Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, otherwise known simply as COPD, is the third leading cause of death in the United States. I watched my grandmother suffer from COPD for years as a result of smoking until it took her life two years ago. If you're a smoker, which greatly increases your chances, you could be suffering from this disease in your future. After all, Web MD states that two in every three people who already have COPD do not know they have it. My objective today is to inform you about the common disease of COPD and leave you feeling a little more educated on subject. The three specific areas that I will cover are what COPD is, who and what it affects, and the types of tests and treatments for the disease.

I. What is COPD?

a. COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is a disease that affects the lungs and a person's ability to breathe.

b. Can include bronchitis, emphysema or both

c. Air ways become constricted when factors such as smoke cause lungs to lose elasticity and mucous starts building up inside.

d. Symptoms are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, fatigue

e. Smoking is the leading cause of COPD but non-smokers lacking the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin can develop emphysema

With that being said let's move on to who is effected by COPD.

II. Who it affects

a. Typically affects older people especially those who have been avid smokers.

b. Not a disease you would see in children but if they have over exposure to second-hand smoke it could increase their chances later on.

c. COPD develops over time therefore rarely seen in younger people.

The people who develop COPD have access to multiple tests and medications to slow down the disease.

III. Treatments, Tests and Medications

a. One test used to seek out COPD is the Spirometry test, a lung function test that measures lung capacity

b. PubMed health