What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease characterised by chronic inflammation of the bronchi and decreased lung capacity, causing difficulty breathing (dyspnea) especially during exertion.

An inflammation of the airways

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have inflammation of the airways, bronchi, and lung tissue in particular. This inflammation leads to a narrowing of the airways, preventing air from passing through. Depending on the stage of the disease, the pulmonary alveoli are eventually destroyed: this is called pulmonary emphysema (or emphysema). Emphysema is therefore defined by the destruction of the pulmonary alveoli and disappearance of the gas exchange that normally occurs there, resulting in the reduction of the patient's lung capacity.
According to the World Health Organization , COPD is the third leading cause of death in the world, after coronary heart disease and stroke.

210 Million people are affected by COPD, around the world

Affects 10% of the population aged between 40 and 60

Do you find it difficult to carry out every day activities?

If you have difficulty carrying out everyday activities like these, especially in the morning, consult your doctor.

COPD Symptoms

The main symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is shortness of breath (dyspnea) on exertion, followed by chronic coughing and sputum production.
These non-specific COPD symptoms resemble those of chronic bronchitis and are often overlooked, leading to a late diagnosis of the disease . 
Acute episodes of exacerbation and prolonged worsening of symptoms such as shortness of breath (including at rest), increased coughing with or without sputum may occur due to an infection of the lower respiratory tract (lungs) and are more common in the advanced stages of the disease. COPD is sometimes diagnosed during one of these exacerbations. The worsening of the condition can lead to respiratory failure in advanced stages.

The main symptom: shortness of breath on exertion

80% of COPD cases are attributable to smoking (active or passive)

Other factors that may increase the risk of COPD or contribute to its worsening:

  • Exposure to dust and chemicals, mainly related to certain professional activities is responsible for 15% of COPD cases.
  • Passive smoking.
  • Frequent lower respiratory tract infections in childhood may be responsible for the occurrence of COPD in adulthood.
  • Air pollution is considered an important aggravating factor, which increases the risk of exacerbation episodes.
  • As with any multifactorial disease, there is also a genetic component: a British study showed that smokers who have in their immediate family a person who developed a severe case of COPD before age 55 are three times more likely to develop airway obstruction than smokers without a family history. This study suggests that genetic factors that interact with tobacco consumption influence the onset of the disease.
  • Most of the time, COPD leads to decreased physical activity and reduced exercise tolerance. This decline in activity is an aggravating factor of the disease, causing the well-known phenomenon of the deconditioning spiral. 

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About COPD
COPD patient with nurse 8

How is COPD diagnosed?

COPD is diagnosed through a simple test called Spriometry. This involves blowing hard and fast into a machine that measures your lung capacity. This is the total amount of air you can breathe out and also how quickly you can empty your lungs. 

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COPD male patient (cooking) 9

COPD Management

The management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) consists of reducing symptoms and slowing down the progression of the disease, in addition to reducing the hospitalisations and exacerbations of the condition. COPD has no cure and management is increasingly aimed at the quality of life and independence of affected individuals.

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References

1. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global Strategy for the diagnosis management and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Updated in 2017; available at; disponible sur http://goldcopd.org/gold-2017-global-strategy-diagnosis-management-prev…
2.ERS. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in: European lung white book. Available at https://www.erswhitebook.org/chapters/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-dis…
3.http://www.who.int/gard/publications/chronic_respiratory_diseases.pdf
4.www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/
5.OMS. Bronchopneumopathie chronique obstructive (BPCO). Aide memoire N°315, October 2014. Available at www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs315/fr/; consulté le 05/11/2014
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