Many of us fall into a quiet trap as we get older. A new ache will show up or a task will become harder than it used to be and we’ll shrug it off with a familiar “Well, I’m just getting older.” But aging is not a diagnosis, and…
Discussion
When levels of black carbon, or soot, in the air are high, walking outside can worsen cough and increase mucus production in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study shows. The researchers note that their findings do not change existing recommendations that people with COPD should…
Discussion
I’ve learned that fear doesn’t always come from something that’s in front of us. Sometimes it rises from a much older place, a place the body remembers even when the mind has moved on. I can see this clearly now that I live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),…
Discussion
Some teachers leave you with formulas and lab reports. Others leave you with something that follows you into the harder seasons of life, long after you’ve forgotten the periodic table. When I was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), I found myself reaching back to lessons I…
Discussion
People who don’t have any experience with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often imagine the oxygen tubing we use as the easy part. It’s a soft little line that trails behind us like a polite shadow. But those of us who depend on it know better. The tubing is…
Discussion
There are moments in life with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that divide everything into the before and the after. Some are dramatic, such as the first hospitalization or the first time you realize that stairs have become mountains. But others arrive quietly, almost shyly, yet still manage to…
COPD is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs, in which the airways become blocked, causing cough with mucus, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
The causes of COPD are not fully understood. However, long-term exposure to lung irritants is known to damage the lungs and the airways.
Some people may also experience exacerbations, or episodes of sudden disease worsening, that may persist for several days.
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