All you want to know about COPD

Rigomo Team

Sat, 04 Oct 2025

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to a group of diseases that has bronchitis and Emphysema. Over time, COPD makes it tougher to breathe. You can’t reverse the damage to the lungs, however, lifestyle changes and medication will assist you to manage the symptoms.

o   Chronic bronchitis irritates your bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from your lungs. In response to irritation, the tubes swell and secretion (phlegm or “snot”) builds up on the lining. The build-up narrows the passage, making it difficult to push air into and out of your lungs.

Small, hair-like structures called cilia unremarkably move secretion out of your airways. however, the irritation and inflammation from bronchitis and/or smoking damage them. The broken cilia can’t facilitate clear secretion.

o   Emphysema

Emphysema is the breakdown of the walls of the little air sacs (alveoli) at the tip of the bronchial tubes, within the “bottom” of your respiratory organ. Your respiratory organ is like a tree. The trunk is the cartilaginous tube or “trachea,” that branches into the “bronchi,” which further terminate into the air sacs or “alveoli.”

The air sacs play a vital role in transferring oxygen into your blood and carbon dioxide out. The damage caused by respiratory disorder destroys the walls of the air sacs, making it exhausting to take a full breath.

What are the causes of COPD?

The primary cause of COPD is smoking. however, not all smokers develop the sickness. you'll be at higher risk if you:

o   Are over the age of sixty-five.

o   Have been exposed to pollution for a long time.

o   Have occupational exposure to toxic chemicals or fumes.

o   Have alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT), a genetic risk issue for COPD.

o   Had a history of repeated infections throughout childhood.

What are the signs and symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

o   Cough with copious secretions that persists for a long time.

o   Difficulty taking a deep breath.

o   Shortness of breath with gentle exercise (like walking or climbing stairs).

o   Shortness of breath playing regular daily activities.

o   Wheezing.

How is COPD diagnosed?

To assess your lungs and overall health, your healthcare provider will medical history, perform a physical examination, and order some tests, like PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS.

Medical history

To diagnose COPD, your doctor can ask queries like:

o   Do you smoke?

o   Have you had long-run exposure to dust or air pollutants?

o   Do any members of your family have COPD?

o   Do you get breathless with exercise? Or even while resting?

o   Have you had a cough for a very long time?

o   Do you cough up phlegm?

Physical Examination

To help with the diagnosis, your doctor can do a physical examination that includes:

o   Listening to your lungs and heart.

o   Checking your vital sign and pulse.

o   Examining your nose and throat.

Tests

Providers use an easy check known as SPIROMETRY to ascertain how well your lungs work. For this check, you blow air into a tube connected to a machine. This respiratory organ performs check measures what quantity of air you'll inhale in a breath and how quickly you'll exhale.

Your doctor might also wish to run a couple of other tests, such as:

o   Pulse oximetry: This check measures the oxygen levels in your blood.

o   Arterial blood gases (ABGs): These tests check the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

o   Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): This checks on the heart and rules out cardiovascular disease as a reason for shortness of breath.

o   Chest X-ray or chest CT scan: Imaging tests seek for changes that COPD causes.

o   Exercise testing: Your doctor uses this to work out if the oxygen level in your blood drops after you exercise.