Know all about the cause of COPD

Every year
on this day 20^th November, World COPD Day is celebrated all
over the world. According to a document of NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.) COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a
progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. Progressive means the
disease gets worse over time.

Long-term exposure to lung irritants that damage the lungs
and the airways usually is the cause of COPD.

In the United States, the most common irritant that
causes COPD is cigarette smoke.

Pipe, cigar, and other types of tobacco smoke also can cause
COPD, especially if the smoke is inhaled.

Breathing in secondhand smoke, which is in the air from
other people smoking; air pollution; or chemical fumes or dusts from the
environment or workplace also can contribute to COPD.

Rarely, a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin
deficiency may play a role in causing COPD.

People who have this condition have low blood levels of
alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT)—a protein made in the liver. Having a low level of
the AAT protein can lead to lung damage and COPD if you are exposed to smoke or
other lung irritants. If you have alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and also
smoke, COPD can worsen very quickly.

Some people who have asthma can develop COPD.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows
the airways. Treatment usually can reverse the inflammation and narrowing that
occurs in asthma.

(Note – This news is not a medical consultation
in any case. You can not make any decision based on this news story. Do not
become a doctor yourself, consult a qualified doctor.)

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Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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