When I was a girl, I begged my father to let me keep a disabled biddy. The chicken was tiny, off‑balance, and needed more help than the others. I promised him I’d take care of it. I meant it with all the sincerity a child can muster. But…
Discussion
Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) means learning to measure your energy the way other people measure ingredients. Every chore, errand, and meal asks for a little breath, strength, and stamina, and some days, you simply don’t have much to spare. Over the years, I’ve learned that the…
Discussion
Note: This column describes the author’s experiences with Voltaren. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. There’s a particular kind of pain that settles low in the back, right over those little dimples on each side of the spine.
Discussion
Portable oxygen is a marvel of modern medicine, but anyone who carries it knows it comes with limitations that don’t show up in the brochures. The ads always feature someone strolling through life with a sleek device slung over their shoulder, smiling as if nothing has changed. But real life…
Discussion
Apollo Therapeutics plans to launch a Phase 2 trial in the first half of 2027 to test whether its experimental vaccine APL-10456 can prevent disease flares in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to a company press release, Apollo has completed enrollment and dosing in…
Discussion
Some mornings in these mountains start with a heaviness I can feel before I even swing my feet out of bed. Not the heaviness of sorrow, though life hands us plenty of that, but the heaviness of breath. The kind that tells me my lungs are already negotiating with…
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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