What Is COPD?
What Is COPD?If you’ve been diagnosed with COPD, learning more about it can help you feel better—both physically andmentally.COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This long-term lung disease makes it hard tobreathe.Symptoms usually start slowly and get worse over time. Common symptoms include: an ongoing cough, acough that produces a lot of mucus, shortness of breath, wheezing or a whistling sound when you breathe,chest tightness, and fatigue.Most people with COPD have a combination of 2 conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis.Emphysema is when the air sacs in your lungs become damaged, making it harder for the lungs to push air outof your body.Chronic bronchitis is when your airways become swollen and clogged with mucus. This usually happens fromrepeated irritation from cigarette smoke or air pollution.If you smoke cigarettes, quitting is the best thing you can do to prevent COPD or to stop it from getting worsemore quickly.Besides quitting smoking, you can do many other things to help you breathe easier with COPD. And your careteam is ready to show you how!Consider asking about: Treatment options, like medicines or pulmonary rehab.Lifestyle changes that can improve your symptoms, like staying active.And emotional support resources, like support groups to connect you with others going through a similarexperience.Your care team is here to support and guide you on your way to feeling better.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
© The Wellness Network
