National COPD Awareness Month

"Do you suffer from a frequent cough or wheeze? Are you often short of breath when doing things like running errands or climbing stairs? Your lungs could be trying to tell you something. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, makes breathing difficult for millions of Americans. November is National COPD Awareness Month. Learn if you are at risk for having COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, makes breathing difficult for the 16 million Americans who have been diagnosed with COPD. Millions more suffer from COPD, but have not been diagnosed and are not being treated. COPD can limit your ability to work or even perform simple daily tasks.

Could you have COPD?

The main cause of COPD is tobacco smoke, so if you smoke or used to smoke, you are at a higher risk of having COPD. Exposure to air pollutants like cigarette smoke or outdoor smog in the home or at work, family history, and respiratory infections like pneumonia also increase your risk..."
COPD