Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a bad lung disease that makes it hard to breathe and it’s caused by damage to the lung. This disease is affecting a lot of people, Copd mostly comes from smoking over a time or breathing in smoke. Although exposure to air pollution in the home and workplace, genetic factors and respiratory infections also play a role in the disease. Copd consists of two types of disease which is emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema is a condition where the air sacs of the lung is enlarged or damage causing someone to be breathless. Chronic bronchitis is defined as progressive cough that is present for a period time in the absence of another identifiable …show more content…
When these signs first occur, people often mistakenly think it’s a cold, being out of shape, or "smoker 's cough. As COPD gets worse, you may be short of breath while doing simple task like get dressed or fixing a meal. It gets harder to eat or exercise, and breathing takes much more energy. People get weaker as time goes on. Symptoms of COPD may suddenly flare up and get much worse than they were before, which is called COPD exacerbation. An exacerbation can range from non-life threating to …show more content…
Some time ago, oxygen therapy and steroid treatment were considered dangerous for people with COPD. Exercise was discouraged because it put a strain on the heart. A COPD diagnosis is typically confirmed with spirometer, which measures someone’s lung function. Spirometer is the most common way Doctors evaluate the level of airflow obstruction. During the test, you 'll be asked to blow into a large tube connected to a spirometer machine that measures how much air your lungs can hold and how quickly you can blow that air from your lungs. Spirometer test can detect COPD before you even experience any symptoms. Doctors may also use chest X-rays or other tests to help diagnose