Am I at COPD Risk?

What is COPD?

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a serious disease of the lungs, characterized by the progressive and unstoppable obstruction of the airways of the bronchial tree (that is, of the bronchi and bronchioles); it follows a severe limitation of the flow of air passing through the aforementioned airways, especially during the expiratory phase.

What causes COPD, together with the airway obstruction that characterizes it, is the inflammatory response triggered by the inhalation of substances harmful to the health of the respiratory system, particularly the lungs; among the harmful substances most associated with the appearance of COPD are the irritants of tobacco smoke, but we must not forget the dust resulting from specific manufacturing processes (eg: grain dust, silica dust, etc.) and the typical pollutants of the ambient air.
COPD is dramatic in its consequences, as it seriously and permanently compromises (with no possibility of a return to normal) the normal anatomy of the lungs and their functionality.
Fortunately, in recent years, the medical-scientific community has provided for the improvement of symptomatic treatments capable of slowing down the distinctive progression of COPD, delaying or even avoiding the appearance of some respiratory disabilities.