Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious lung disease that affects nearly 16 million Americans. It is caused by long-term damage to the lungs that makes it hard to breathe. Although smoking is the #1 cause of COPD, you don’t have to be an active smoker to have the condition. Common symptoms include wheezing, coughing and struggling to take in a breath.
COPD is a chronic, progressive condition that will never go away completely. Fortunately, there are ways to treat it, such as smoking cessation and daily medication.2 And because everyone is different, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating COPD.
Therefore, it’s important for people with COPD to work with their doctor to figure out the right treatment for them. Unlike other diseases, medicines for COPD are often taken through an inhaler, so it’s important to discuss the inhaler when deciding on treatment. People may not know: not all inhalers are the same, and each works differently.
To find out more about COPD and what you should ask your doctor click here
