Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Overview
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of COPD are: shortness of breath, particularly when you're activea persistent chestycoughwith phlegm – some people may dismiss this as just a "smoker's cough"frequentchest infectionspersistent wheezing Without treatment, the symptoms usually get progressively worse. There may also be periods when they get suddenly worse, known as a flare-up or exacerbation. Find out more about thesymptoms of COPD.
Causes
COPD happens when the lungs become inflamed, damaged and narrowed. The main cause is smoking, although the condition can sometimes affect people who have never smoked. The likelihood of developing COPD increases the more you smoke and the longer you've smoked. Some cases of COPD are caused by long-term exposure to harmful fumes or dust. Others are the result of a rare genetic problem that makes the lungs more vulnerable to damage. Find out more about thecauses of COPD.
Treatment
The damage to the lungs caused by COPD is permanent, but treatment can help slow down the progression of the condition. Treatments include: stopping smoking– if you have COPD and you smoke, this is the most important thing you can doinhalers and medicines – to help make breathing easierpulmonary rehabilitation – a specialised programme of exercise and educationsurgery or a lung transplant – although this is only an option for a very small number of people Find out more abouthow COPD is treatedandliving with COPD.
Prevention
COPD is largely a preventable condition. You can significantly reduce your chances of developing it if you avoid smoking. If you already smoke, stopping can help prevent further damage to your lungs before it starts to cause troublesome symptoms. If you think you need help to stop smoking,visit NHS Better Health Quit smoking for free advice and support. You may also want to talk to a GP about the stop smoking treatments available. Find out more aboutstopping smokingandwhere to find a stop smoking service near you.