Condition
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Description
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the occurrence of chronic bronchitis or emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways narrow over time. This limits airflow to and from the lungs, causing shortness of breath (dyspnea). In clinical practice, COPD is defined by its characteristically low airflow on lung function tests. In contrast to asthma, this limitation is poorly reversible and usually gets increasingly worse over time.
COPD is caused by noxious particles or gas, most commonly from tobacco smoking, which triggers an abnormal inflammatory response in the lung.Source: Wikipedia
Other names
COPD, chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic obstructive airway disease, chronic airflow limitation, chronic obstructive respiratory disease