What is the medical condition known as COPD? It's Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease which is a long-term illness that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. The lungs and airways are damaged, and that's the reason why people with this disease find it hard to take in air, especially if doing something like walking up a hill or engaging in their favourite sport or doing any strenuous activity. To those who have COPD, they find that their lives are changed forever.
Is there a cure for this condition? The answer is, no. But there are things you yourself can do to help slow down the condition, especially if you've been diagnosed as having caught the disease in the early stages - if you're a smoker, stop immediately! In fact, smoking was found to be one of the top causes of COPD.
Could anything else cause COPD? Yes, dust is another main cause. If you work in a dusty or fume-filled environment, this could easily trigger the condition. Thousands of British coalminers have been paid compensation for contracting emphysema due to their working conditions. Emphysema is COPD, as is bronchitis and asthma.
How do I know if I've got COPD? If you have a persistent chesty cough and always bringing up phlegm, go and consult the doctor. If you're chest is tight all the time and you wheeze, go and consult the doctor. If you have frequent chest infections, go and consult the doctor. If you're in your late forties or fifties, go and consult the doctor.
Once COPD develops, the damage caused to your lungs can't be reversed. Don't let this condition progress, catch it whilst it's still in the early stages. If you ignore this condition, believe me, it won't go away. You really don't want to be forced to use oxygen for the rest of your life - do you?
