What Are Your Lungs Trying to Tell You?

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a group of medical conditions arising from irreversible damage to the lungs or airways. They are characterized by difficulty breathing and coughing, among other symptoms.

“COPD is a condition characterized by persistent, usually progressive narrowing of the bronchi and destruction of lung tissue,” says Adam Wanner, M.D., a pulmonologist with the University of Miami Health System.

Two main conditions are classified as COPD: emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Emphysema occurs when the walls between the air sacs in the lungs get damaged, making it harder to move air out of the body and making breathing difficult.

Chronic bronchitis is caused by irritation and inflammation of the airway lining, which leads to mucus buildup as well as breathing problems.

Of the more than 14 million Americans with COPD, most of them have both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The severity of each component of the disease can differ from person to person.

What causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

“Cigarette smoking and indoor biomass burning smoke (open-fire cooking or heating in poorly ventilated rooms) are the major causes of COPD,” says Dr. Wanner.

In rarer instances, other factors can contribute to the development of COPD, including:

• Cigars
• Vapes
• Marijuana
• Chemical fumes
• Dust
• Air pollution
• A genetic disorder known as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Prevention is a simple matter, at least in theory.

“Generally, COPD can be prevented by not smoking and avoiding exposure to biomass burning smoke,” says Dr. Wanner.

Of course, quitting smoking can be hard, so be sure to talk to your health care provider if you need assistance with smoking cessation resources.

Unfortunately, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cannot be cured. However, there are steps that people can take to improve their symptoms and quality of life.

“Standard treatment — cessation of smoking or reducing indoor smoke pollution, pulmonary rehabilitation, inhaled medications and oxygen if needed — are the same for all causes of COPD,” says Dr. Wanner.

“In a small subset of hereditary COPD, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, alpha-1 antitrypsin replacement can be added to the standard treatment.”

Wyatt Myers is a contributor for UHealth’s news service.

Tags: COPD symptoms, Dr. Adam Wanner, Pulmonary rehabilitation, Smoking and COPD