November is COPD Awareness Month. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) specifically refers to chronic bronchitis and emphysema. These two diseases often appear together in the same patient.
Risk factors of COPD include: age, heredity, long history of heavy smoking, exposure to air pollution in the environment or the workplace, and/or a history of childhood respiratory infections.
COPD is often progressive. It may start with shortness of breath and coughing. Then, a chronic cough can develop. Later, the cough often becomes more frequent, and it's harder to get air into the lungs as airways become obstructed. For questions about COPD diagnosis and treatment, please contact your primary care provider or find one at www.huntregional.org/findadoc
