Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease  Overview

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disabling chronic respiratory disease that can usually be prevented. The most common cause of COPD is tobacco smoking — primarily cigarette smoking. For most people, if they don’t smoke, they don’t get COPD.

Symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, cough and production of phlegm. Increased shortness of breath can have a debilitating effect on a person's daily life.

Even if you have COPD, symptoms are milder and chances of living longer are improved if you quit smoking. It is never too late to quit smoking if you have COPD or are at risk for developing COPD because of a smoking habit.

COPD involves two diseases:

• Chronic bronchitis, which is inflammation (sometimes with infection) of the airways making you cough and produce phlegm that is sometimes thick and smelly
• Emphysema, which is destruction of lung tissue leaving dead spaces in the lungs that do not inhale/exhale air

COPD cannot be cured. It is treated by managing symptoms with drugs, supplemental oxygen (for some patients) and pulmonary rehabilitation, which helps the patient improve symptoms and overall health.

About 20 million people in the United States have COPD. Its prevalence is declining in men, many of whom quit smoking over the past several decades. Its prevalence is increasing in women, reflecting the fact that more women began to smoke at about the same time many men began to quit. The lag time between when a person began to smoke and the development of COPD is 10 or more years.

As more people quit smoking, fewer will develop COPD and its prevalence will continue to decline.