Memorial Lung Center
Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD Facts
- More than 15
million people in the United States have COPD
- Cigarette smoking
is the cause of 90% of all COPD cases
- COPD is the fourth
leading cause of death in the United States
- 105,000 people
die from COPD each year
- Approximately
12 million people suffer from chronic bronchitis alone
The definition
of COPD is:
CHRONIC
- refers to a condition that never goes away
OBSTRUCTIVE - refers to blockage; Air flow from the lungs
is partially blocked
PULMONARY - refers to the lungs or breathing
DISEASE - refers to a condition with specific symptoms
COPD is a group
of diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthmatic bronchitis
or any disease which may impair the flow of air from the lungs (obstruction),
leading to shortness of breath, especially with mild exertion.
If you suspect that
you may have this problem, please consult your physician immediately
for a thorough workup and diagnosis.
Email: lungctr@memorialsb.org
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