Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease. The main symptom of COPD is an inability to breathe in and out properly. This is also referred to as airflow obstruction.
Airflow obstruction is caused by long-term damage to the lungs, usually as a result of smoking.
How common is COPD?
COPD is one of the most common respiratory diseases in the UK. It usually affects people who are over 40 years of age.
Around 900,000 people in the UK have been diagnosed with COPD, but it is thought that the actual figure is much higher. This is because many people who develop the symptoms of COPD do not seek medical attention because they often dismiss their symptoms as the result of a ‘smoker’s cough’.
A report by the British Lung Foundation that was published in 2007 estimated that in the UK there are 3.7 million people living with COPD.
COPD affects more men than women. According to the British Thoracic Society, the rate of COPD among women is increasing.
The main cause of COPD is smoking. The likelihood of developing COPD increases the more you smoke and the longer you've been smoking.
The effects of COPD
The condition builds up over a number of years, causing the airways of your lungs (bronchioles) to narrow, permanently damaging your air sacs (alveoli). As the condition progresses, breathing in and out will become increasingly difficult. You may find it hard to do normal activities, such as walking to the shops. If not enough oxygen is getting through the narrowed airways to your heart you may also be at risk of heart failure.
The symptoms of COPD can seem similar to those of asthma. Asthma can be controlled with treatment but COPD causes permanent damage to the lungs. Treatment for COPD usually involves relieving the symptoms; for example, by using an inhaler to make breathing easier.
Although COPD causes about 30,000 deaths a year in the UK, severe COPD can be prevented by making some basic changes to your lifestyle.
See the Prevention section (above) for information and advice about how to prevent COPD developing, and how to alleviate the symptoms.
