COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Generality

COPD is the acronym of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a pathology of the respiratory system with a sneaky character, which at the beginning is asymptomatic, while in the more advanced stages, after a slow and progressive course, it is responsible for very serious symptoms, such as dyspnea (ie breathing difficulties and shortness of breath even during small efforts), cough with phlegm, recurrent fatigue, edema in the ankles, decreased appetite and predisposition to the development of respiratory infections.

The most known and common cause of COPD is smoking, ie the habit of smoking tobacco; after smoking, the other most important causal factors are: passive smoking, constant exposure in the professional setting to dusts and toxic substances, prolonged exposure to severe environmental pollution and, finally, the presence of a genetic condition known as alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.
Currently, COPD is a condition from which it is impossible to cure; however, its control, through appropriate symptomatic therapies, is essential to slow down the inexorable progress of the alterations that the aforementioned condition determines in the bronchi and lungs.

What is COPD?

COPD is the name of a serious respiratory disease, resulting from the combination of conditions united by the pathological narrowing of the airways of the bronchial tree (bronchi and bronchioles) and a series of consequent breathing difficulties, especially during the exhalation phase.