Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of chronic, progressive lung diseases that make breathing difficult. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the main types of COPD, and many people have both.1The hallmark symptoms of COPD are shortness of breath, chronic cough, and wheezing....
COPD is a chronic and progressive disease, so you may notice symptoms appear slowly and worsen. The most common early signs of COPD include: Shortness of breath Chronic cough Wheezing Increased mucus Chest tightness or pain Fatigue Frequent respiratory infections ...
Patients typically present with a combination of signs and symptoms of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and reactive airway disease. Symptoms include the following: Cough, usually worse in the mornings and productive of a small amount of colorless sputum Breathlessness: The most significant symptom, but...
Emphysema.This results from damage to the small air sacs, called alveoli, inside your lungs. These little sacs transfer oxygen from your lungs to your bloodstream. When they get damaged, their walls break down, leaving larger air spaces in your lungs. These don't work as well to get oxygen...
What are the signs and symptoms of COPD? Increased breathlessness Frequent coughing (with and without sputum) Wheezing Tightness in the chest How common is COPD? COPD affects an estimated 30 million individuals in the U.S., and more than half of them exhibit symptoms but have not been diagnos...
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is term for a group of diseases including emphysema and chronic bronchitis that causes progressive difficulty breathing.COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms.Cigare...
Emphysema. A disease that damages the air sacs in the lungs. Exacerbation. A flare-up or worsening of COPD symptoms. There are manysigns and symptoms of an exacerbation, and they can be mild, moderate, or severe. Spirometry. A breathing test in which you blow into a special tube to meas...
COPD is a complex mix of signs and symptoms in patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema, diseases that largely result from cigarette smoking. Not all smokers, however, acquire COPD, and COPD can develop in nonsmokers. In the United States, COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of ...
Constant Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) experiences long-term and dynamic damage to their lungs. This impacts air flow to the lungs. Doctors in some cases call this conditionchronic bronchitisorchronic emphysema. Those with COPD can experience periods when their signs are much worse than normal...
disease occurs slightly more often in men than in women. The symptoms (for example, shortness of breath,coughing) come on slowly and many people are diagnosed after age 40-50, although some are diagnosed at a younger age. COPD patients may exhibit symptoms ofchronic bronchitis,emphysema, and...