What is COPD?

Many people have breathing problem in this time. They cannot take deep breath and have a chronic cough. If you experience emphysema or chronic bronchitis or combination of both, probably you have COPD. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or copd definition is group or combination of lung disease that cause obstruction of airflows in human body. This disease is included in incurable disease, but there are some treatments that can help if the disease is found earlier.

What is Copd Definition?

After knowing copd definition you need to know why people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experience shortness of breath or dyspnea. People who have copd incurable disease have chronic breathing-related problem because the lungs cannot work well. In healthy people, the airflows usually in and out from the lungs easily because the air sacs or alveoli on the lungs are elastic. When you breathe in, alveoli will be full of air and become puffy like small balloons. When you exhale the air sacs or alveoli will deflates.

People who have copd or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cannot breathe deeply because their alveoli or air sacs are so floppy and lose shape. Air sacs cannot making perfect small balloons when patient breathe in which makes him to be able to totally finish breathing out. So, besides knowing copd definition you need to know that patient with this disease is losing alveoli’s elasticity. The result is the decreased ability to move the air in and out from lungs.

Major Causes and Copd Definition

Knowing copd definition only is not enough to cure the disease. People who have copd only can get air needed by breathing more forcefully and it is torture the body and can irritate the respiration system. The major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is tobacco cigarette smoking. Many people who experience copd are smokers or have smoking history. As we all know there are many harmful chemicals contained in the tobacco cigarette and it can reduce air sacs and lungs’ function.

Besides knowing the copd definition, you need to know the other causes of copd. They are occupational exposures, air pollution, genetics and autoimmune disease. For your information, people who live in metropolitan city have more COPD patients than people who live in areas near beach, mountain, or even rural areas. People who work in industrial area or in a place with a lot of dusts also have high risk of COPD.

One thing you need to know is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is number four in the leading cause of death list in US. COPD is one of factor that can develop lung cancer as well. So, after knowing copd definition, you need to know the right treatments to cure this disease. Sadly, so far there is no cure for this disease.

But the good news is this chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is avoidable and treatable. The doctors will give medicines that will reduce the risk factors. Some drugs that will given to the patient are supplemental oxygen, cough medicine, asthma medicine, etc. so, after knowing copd definition and the causes, it is good for us to stop smoking for avoid copd.