What is COPD

Misty: My name is Misty and I am from Orlando. I heard that chronic pulmonary disease is the number four killer in humans. What is chronic pulmonary disease and what are some of the early signs of it?

Robert Wise: Misty, that's a very important question. When you talk about chronic pulmonary disease, I think you mean Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD. This is an umbrella term that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It's the fourth leading cause of death and causes a great deal of disability. It's caused almost exclusively by cigarette smoking.

The cardinal symptoms are shortness of breath with exertion and a chronic productive cough. However, many people with COPD have no symptoms whatsoever, until it becomes far advanced. Therefore, it's important for people who smoke to get their lungs checked with a simple breathing test called Spirometry. It can be done in any doctor's office and is quick and easy to do.


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