Whats is COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

A preventable and treatable lung disease

COPD

A person with COPD may have Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema or combination of both.

Severity of these conditions can vary from person to person.

What are the symptoms of COPD?

Feeling short of breath while resting or when doing physical activity

Wheezing - a whistling sound mainly when you breathe out through narrowed airways

Cough and/or mucus production that does not go away

Fatigue (tiredness)

How is COPD diagnosed?

Diagnosis by HCPs

Healthcare providers diagnose COPD based on
  • Symptoms
  • Risk factors
  • Test results

Spirometry

Single most important test
  • Simple breathing test called spirometry
  • Part of lung function test or pulmonary function test

How does it help?

Spirometry
  • Measures how much air your lungs can hold
  • How fast you can blow the air out of your lungs

Other tests

Changes of COPD
  • Can also be seen on a chest X-ray
  • Or a chest CT scan

What causes COPD?

Most common cause of COPD is tobacco smoke
Environmental Exposure
Heavy exposure to certain dusts at work, chemicals, and indoor or outdoor air pollution.
Genetic Risk
Some people have none of these exposures and still get COPD

When should I contact my doctor?

  • If your shortness of breath is new, or it worsens for unknown reason
  • When unexpected tiredness does not go away
  • After noticing a change in your mucus - generally, a change in the color, thickness, and/or the amount of mucus is a sign that there is something abnormal going on in your lungs
  • If you notice any of the following: unexplained cough; severe cough; or coughing that causes you to black out (pass out)

Reference: https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/copd-intro.pdf

This material is for informational purposes only. It does not replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. You should consult with, and rely only on the advice of, your physician or health care professional.