COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder


COPD is a lung disease which causes difficulty in breathing due to a partial obstruction of the airways. It is usually caused by smoke inhalation leading to a gradual increase in infection within the lungs over many years.

COPD is a combination of two diseases
Chronic bronchitis; when the air ways are inflamed due to infection and so less air can flow in them
Emphysema; when the tiny air sacs in lungs can no longer stretch an fill with air

The main symptoms are:
A longlasting (chronic) cough.
Mucus that comes up when you cough.
Shortness of breath that gets worse when you exercise.

COPD progressively gets worse over time and the damaged caused by it is irreversible. COPD can be prevented by not smoking. Talk to your pharmacist today, about how nicotine replacement therapy can help you to stop smoking.