What is COPD?

COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It is a long-term lung condition that makes it hard to breathe because air cannot move in and out of the lungs normally.

COPD includes diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In chronic bronchitis, the airways are often irritated and full of mucus. In emphysema, the small air sacs in the lungs lose their flexibility and cannot push out air well.

Because COPD is a progressive disease, it gets worse over time.

How Common Is It?

COPD is one of the leading causes of illness and death globally.
Many people have COPD but do not know it yet.
In the Philippines, approximately 1 in 10 Filipino adults age 40+ are diagnosed with COPD.

What Causes COPD?

COPD does not happen overnight. It usually develops slowly over many years. Several risk factors increase your chance of getting COPD:

Smoking
Smoking is the main cause. The more years you smoke, and the more you smoke, the greater the risk. Even exposure to secondhand smoke (breathing the smoke from others) also adds risk.

Air pollution & indoor smoke
Breathing dirty air, like from car exhaust, factories, or smoke from indoor cooking (especially in poorly ventilated homes), can harm your lungs.

Workplace exposure
Jobs with dust, chemical fumes, or vapors can damage the lungs over time.

Other lung conditions & infections
Having asthma, repeated pneumonia or bronchitis, or lung infections in childhood may increase risk.

Genes
Rarely, people inherit conditions that weaken the lungs (for example, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency).

Signs and Symptoms to Watch For

At first, symptoms may be mild. Over time, they often get worse. Common signs include:
•    Shortness of breath, especially when doing something active
•    Chronic cough (one you can’t shake)
•    Coughing up mucus (phlegm or sputum)
•    Wheezing or “whistling” sound when breathing
•    Tiredness, frequent colds, or lung infections
If you often get breathless doing everyday tasks—walking, climbing stairs—or you have a persistent cough, it’s worth checking with a health provider.

How Is COPD Diagnosed?

To find out if someone has COPD, doctors may do:

•    Medical history & symptoms review — asking about smoking, exposure to pollutants, and symptoms.
•    Physical exam — listening to the lungs.
•    Lung function test (spirometry) — this is the main test. You blow into a device to measure how much air you can force out and how fast. 
•    Sometimes imaging tests (X-ray or CT scan) and blood tests to rule out other conditions.

Early diagnosis helps manage the disease before it gets worse.


Can COPD Be Treated or Reversed?

There is no cure for COPD. The damage to the lungs cannot be fully reversed. But the good news is you can treat and manage it. Treatment can slow down worsening, ease symptoms, and improve quality of life.

Some treatment and management options are:

•    Quit smoking / avoid smoke & pollutants — this is the single most important step.
•    Medications (inhalers, bronchodilators, steroids) — these help open airways, reduce inflammation, and ease breathing.
•    Breathing techniques & pulmonary rehabilitation — exercises and training can help the lungs work better, strengthen breathing muscles, and teach you to conserve energy.
•    Vaccinations — flu shots, pneumonia vaccines help prevent breathing infections that can make COPD worse.
•    Oxygen therapy — for people with low blood oxygen, supplemental oxygen can help.

How to Reduce Your Risk or Live Better with COPD 

•    Don’t start smoking or quit if you already smoke.
•    Avoid secondhand smoke and air pollutants — at home and at work.
•    Use protective gear (masks, ventilators) if you work around dust, chemicals, fumes.
•    Have regular health checkups, especially if you have symptoms or risk factors.
•    Stay active — do exercises (as approved by your doctor) to keep your muscles, including breathing muscles, stronger.
•    Eat well and stay healthy overall — good nutrition helps your body cope.

Why Awareness Matters

•    Because COPD develops slowly, many people do not notice it until it has advanced. Early recognition can help start treatment sooner and slow the disease’s progress.
•    Also, caring for air quality—at home, in the workplace, and in the community—can protect many people from breathing damage.
•    By raising awareness about COPD, more people can seek help early, avoid risk factors, and live better with the condition.

Sources:

•    https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-(copd)
•    https://www.cdc.gov/copd/index.html
•    https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd/what-causes-copd
•    https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/copd/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353685