Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used when we have one or more of these conditions:

Emphysema: This results from damage to our air sacs (alveoli) that destroy the walls inside them and causes them to merge into one giant air sac. It can’t absorb oxygen as well, so your get less oxygen in our blood. Damaged alveoli can make your lungs stretch out and lose their springiness. Air gets trapped in our lungs and we can’t breathe it out, so we feel short of breath.

Chronic bronchitis: If we have coughing, shortness of breath, and mucus that lingers at least 3 months for 2 years in a row, we have chronic bronchitis. Hair-like fibers called cilia line our bronchial tubes and help move mucus out. When we have chronic bronchitis, we lose our cilia. This makes it harder to get rid of mucus, which makes us cough more, which creates more mucus.

Refractory asthma: This type may also be called nonreversible. It doesn’t respond to normal asthma medications.

Southwest Florida Cancer Clinic says that long-term exposure to things that irritate our lungs is the most common cause. In the U.S., that’s cigarette, pipe, or other types of tobacco smoke. If we hang around other smokers and breathe in a lot of secondhand smoke, that can play a role, too. Our odds also go up if we smoke and have asthma. If we smoke and have COPD, it tends to get worse faster. We might also develop this condition if we have been exposed to things like dust, air pollution, or certain chemicals for long periods of time.

Researchers of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Specialists of SW Florida say that our age can also make COPD more likely. It develops slowly over the years, so most people are at least 40 when symptoms begin. It’s rare, but your genes could put us at risk for COPD. If we lack a protein called alpha 1 antitrypsin (AAT), we may be more likely to get it.

Website: www.breatheeasyswfl.com
Phone: (239) 985-1925
Address: 7335 Gladiolus Dr., Ft Myers, FL 33908