Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a serious lung disease that, over time, makes it hard to breathe. You may also have heard COPD called other names, like emphysema or chronic bronchitis. In people who have COPD, the airways—tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs—are partially blocked, which makes it hard to get air in and out.

When COPD is severe, symptoms such as shortness of breath can get in the way of even the most basic tasks, such as doing light housework, taking a walk, and even washing and dressing.

Facts About COPD in the United States

COPD is the 4th-leading cause of death and causes serious, long-term disability COPD kills more than 120,000 Americans each year. That's a death every 4 minutes More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD An additional 12 million likely have the disease and don't even know it

Warning signs

Common symptoms of COPD include:

• Constant coughing, sometimes called "smoker's cough"
• Shortness of breath while doing activities you used to be able to do
• Excess sputum production
• Feeling like you can't breathe
• Not being able to take a deep breath
• Wheezing

COPD develops slowly, and it can worsen over time, so be sure to report any symptoms you might have to your doctor as soon as possible, no matter how mild they may seem.

Risk Factors

The following factors are indicative of your risk for COPD:

• People age 40 and over with a history of smoking (current or former smokers)
• Long-term exposure to things that can irritate the lungs, like certain chemicals, dust, or fumes
• Heavy or long-term exposure to secondhand smoke or other pollutants
• A genetic condition known as AAT deficiency (alpha-1 antitrypsin)

Find out your risk for COPD.

Diagnosis and screening

The most common and well known test for COPD is called spirometry. Based on this test, your doctor can tell if you have COPD and how severe it is. Life Line Screening offers a disease risk assessment screening, called Know Your Number, which predicts your 5-year risk for COPD as well as 5 other chronic diseases.

Learn more about how Know Your Number can help you understand your risk for COPD and other major diseases, and most important, what you can do now to reduce your risks.

Interested in learning more about COPD? Read our FAQs.