Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPD is a lung condition that makes it hard for you to breathe because air cannot go out the lungs easily. Symptoms include shortness of breath (dyspnea), cough, mucus production and wheezing. These symptoms are often underestimated by patients. They appear progressively, and worsen over time. Some daily activities become more and more difficult and physical activity decreases, sometimes very significantly.
This progressive deterioration is punctuated by episodes of worsening of your symptoms, called exacerbations. These episodes may require unscheduled consultations or hospitalizations. It’s typically caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases.
The main risk factor for COPD is smoking: more than 80% of cases are attributed to it.
Manage COPD with moveUP
Although COPD is a progressive disease that gets worse over time, moveUP can help you with proper management. Most people with COPD can achieve good symptom control and quality of life, as well as reduced risks of other associated conditions.
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two most common conditions that contribute to COPD, and are explained in more detail in the section “Anatomy of the lungs and changes due to COPD”.