Emphysema

You have been diagnosed with COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. You acknowledge that there is no cure; nothing can be done to reverse the damage done to your airways and lungs. But can you do anything at all, to help retain as much quality of life as possible? Yes, there are several things you can do to minimize the effects of COPD and help you breathe a little easier.

Your symptoms can be managed, and damage to your lungs can be slowed. If you smoke, quitting is the most important thing you can do to help your lungs. Information is available on ways to help you quit smoking. Please see the following web site if you are interested: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/ You also need to try to stay away from people who are smoking or places where there is smoking.

COPD: most of us know someone who has COPD, or have it ourselves. The most noticeable symptom is the cough; which occurs, all day and all night. Nurses working the night shift can easily identify where the COPD patients are located, as they hear them coughing: a very productive, wet type of cough. A suffocating type of cough, and indeed, that is what is occurring. These patients are slowly suffocating as their COPD progresses. So what exactly is COPD?

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a serious lung disease that, over time, makes it hard to breathe. It is the 4th leading cause of death in the United States and causes serious, long-term disability. The number of people with COPD is increasing. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD and an additional 12 million likely have the disease and don't even know it.

The American Lung Association defines COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) as "... a term referring to two lung diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, that are characterized by obstruction to airflow that interferes with normal breathing. Both of these conditions frequently co-exist, hence physicians prefer the term COPD."