Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also called obstructive airways disease, refers to long-term damage to the airways, causing breathing difficulty.
It consists primarily of chronic bronchitis (long-term inflammation of the airways) and emphysema (damage to the air sacs in the lungs). The most common cause is smoking, although COPD may also result from long-term exposure to harmful dust or fumes, or from an inherited disorder that makes the lungs susceptible to damage.
The main symptoms of COPD include increasing breathlessness, a persistent cough that brings up phlegm, frequent chest infections, and persistent wheezing.
Without treatment, the symptoms gradually worsen. There is no cure for COPD. Stopping smoking is essential to prevent further lung damage from occuring. Other treatments may include medication and tailored physical exercises. Rarely, surgery or a lung transplant may be options

Othere related diseases

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also called obstructive airways disease, refers to long-term damage to the airways, causing breathing difficulty. ...

CROUP
In croup (medically known as laryngotracheitis), the upper airways become inflamed and narrowed, producing hoarseness, a harsh, grating sound while breathing in...

CYSTIC FIBROSIS
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited condition in which a faulty gene causes body secretions to be abnormal, especially in the lungs and digestive system, leadi...

DEVIATED NASAL SEPTUM
With a deviated nasal septum, the partition that separates the nostrils (which is called the nasal septum) is shifted to one side.
A deviated septum may b...

EPIGLOTTITIS
Epiglottitis is a potentially life-threatening condition in which the epiglottis (the flap of tissue behind the tongue that prevents food from entering the airw...

FUNCTIONAL DYSPHONIA
Voice overuse Functional dysphonia is the medical term for abnormalities of the voice that are not due to any underlying disorder. Typical abnormalities may in...

HAY FEVER
Allergic rhinitis Seasonal allergic rhinitis In hay fever (also called seasonal allergic rhinitis), the lining of the nose becomes inflamed due to an allergic ...

HERPANGINA
Herpangina is a throat infection caused by a specific group of viruses known as enteroviruses, most commonly by coxsackieviruses—a group of viruses that can c...