Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) makes it hard for you to breathe. Coughing up mucus is often the first sign of COPD. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are common COPDs.
Your airways branch out inside your lungs like an upside-down tree. At the end of each branch are small, balloon-like air sacs. In healthy people, both the airways and air sacs are springy and elastic. When you breathe in, each air sac fills with air like a small balloon. The balloon deflates when you exhale. In COPD, your airways and air sacs lose their shape and become floppy, like a stretched-out rubber band.
Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of COPD. Breathing in other kinds of irritants, like pollution, dust or chemicals, may also cause or contribute to COPD. Quitting smoking is the best way to avoid developing COPD.
Treatment can make you more comfortable, but there is no cure.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/706.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/706.printerview.html
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_WhatIs.html
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COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/copd/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/copdspanish/htm/index.htm
- COPD(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/copd/DS00916/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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COPD: Learn More, Breathe Better(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/index.htm
- Depression May Worsen COPD(10/24/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70820.html
- Alcohol Doesn't Worsen Chronic Lung Conditions(10/20/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70617.html
- Chronic Lung Disease Common in Older Adults(10/08/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70186.html
- More News on COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_c.html#copdchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease
- Blood Gases Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/blood_gases/test.html
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Bronchoscopy(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/bron/bron_whatis.html
- How Is COPD Diagnosed?(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/mgmt/diagnosed/
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Lung Function Tests(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/lft/lft_whatare.html
- Recognizing Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/about/symptoms.aspx
- Spirometry(American Association for Respiratory Care) - http://www.yourlunghealth.org/testing/spirometry/index.cfm
- Albuterol Inhalers: Time to Transition(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/albuterol053008.html
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Inhaled Steroid Drugs: Summary of Affordable Alternatives(Consumers Union of U.S.) - http://www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/steroid_asthma.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/2pager_AsthmaSpanish.pdf
- Lung - Treatment of COPD and Asthma(National Lung Health Education Program) - http://www.nlhep.org/lung_trtmnt.html
- Medication Therapy(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/mgmt/med-therapy/
- Patient Instructions for Inhaled Devices(American College of Chest Physicians) - Links to PDF - http://www.chestnet.org/patients/guides/inhaledDevices.php
- Surgery for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(American Thoracic Society) - http://www.thoracic.org/sections/education/patient-education/patient-education-materials/patient-information-series/surgery-copd.html
- Eating Right: Tips for the COPD Patient(American Association for Respiratory Care) - http://www.aarc.org/patient_education/tips/copd.html
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation(American Thoracic Society) - http://www.thoracic.org/sections/clinical-information/pulmonary-rehabilitation/patient-information/pages/pulmonary-rehabilitation.html
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation: A Team Approach to Improving the Quality of Life(American College of Chest Physicians) - http://www.chestnet.org/patients/guides/pulmonary/
- Coping with COPD: A Tutorial on Life Skills(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/living/coping/
- Lessening the Effects of COPD(American Association for Respiratory Care) - http://www.yourlunghealth.org/healthy_living/living/lessening_copd/
- Around the Clock with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2058817&content_id={3506ED17-B37B-4E9F-A6EF-9689485D62E0}¬oc=1
- Breathing Techniques(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/wellness/breathing.aspx
- Home Oxygen Therapy(American Association for Respiratory Care) - http://www.yourlunghealth.org/healthy_living/living/home_oxygen_therapy/
- Oxygen Therapy(American Thoracic Society) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.thoracic.org/sections/education/patient-education/patient-education-materials/patient-information-series/oxygen-therapy.html
- Respiratory Home Health Care(American Association for Respiratory Care) - http://www.yourlunghealth.org/healthy_living/living/resp_home_care/
- Techniques to Bring Up Mucus(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/living/mucus.aspx
- COPD and Mental Health: Tips on Maintaining a High Quality of Life(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/living/mental/
- How Can I Stay Healthy?(American Thoracic Society) - http://www.thoracic.org/sections/copd/for-patients/how-can-i-stay-healthy.html
- Living Well with COPD(American Association for Respiratory Care) - http://www.yourlunghealth.org/healthy_living/living/living_copd/
- Traveling with Oxygen(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvLUK9O0E/b.23052/
- When Asthma and COPD Coexist(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/seniorsandasthma/when_asthma_copd_coexist.stm
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COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/copd/toc.html
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COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/copd/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/copdspanish/htm/index.htm
- Atlas of the Body: The Respiratory System -- Structure Detail(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ8PPLCGJC&sub_cat=285
- Lung - Anatomy(National Lung Health Education Program) - http://www.nlhep.org/lung_anat.html
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Lung Diseases, Obstructive(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Lung+Diseases,+Obstructive%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Pulmonary+Disease,+Chronic+Obstructive%22
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF - http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/COPD.pdf
- Screening for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations(American College of Physicians) - http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/148/7/I-46
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: A 4-year trial of tiotropium in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18836213&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Changing use of surfactant over 6 years and its relationship... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18824498&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Inhaled anticholinergics and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18812535&tool=MedlinePlus
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=lung+diseases,obstructive[majr]+NOT+asthma[mh]+NOT+emphysema[mh]+NOT+bronchitis[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary (Lungs)(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=40415
- American College of Chest Physicians - http://www.chestnet.org/
- American Lung Association - http://www.lungusa.org/
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
- National Lung Health Education Program - http://www.nlhep.org/
- Facts about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/copd/copdfaq.htm
- FASTATS: Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (CLRD)(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/copd.htm
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COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/copd/toc.html
- Asthma - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asthma.html
- Breathing Problems - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breathingproblems.html
- Bronchitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bronchitis.html
- Emphysema - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/emphysema.html
- Lungs and Breathing - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungsandbreathing.html
The primary NIH organization for research on COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/copdchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease.html