what it is lung disease

Under a COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is defined as a chronic lung disease that is due to inflamed and permanently narrowed airways. Typical COPD symptoms are productive cough and shortness of breath during exercise. The greatest risk for COPD, smokers and passive smokers. Abandoning nicotine is therefore one of the most important therapeutic measures. Everything important about the COPD disease can be found here.COPD Contents

    Description
    Symptoms
    Causes and Risk Factors
    Investigations and diagnosis
    Treatment
    Disease course and prognosis
COPD: Description
COPD is often called "smoker's lung" or "smoker's cough" trivialized. The COPD is a life-threatening lung disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) worldwide suffer about 64 million people suffer from COPD lung disease. This represents approximately 14 percent of the world's adult population. COPD is the most frequent disease of the respiratory system. Furthermore, the lung disease COPD is increasing worldwide considered a fourth place in the mortality statistics. Already in 2020 will rise to third place the COPD disease, according to the forecast of experts. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, making it the endemic disease with the highest rate of increase.COPD: definition
What is COPD exactly? The acronym stands for the English term "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease". In German, the "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" means, or in the jargon "chronic obstructive bronchitis". With COPD, the terms "chronic bronchitis" and "pulmonary emphysema" to be associated, which will be explained here in more detail:
Chronic bronchitis: According to the WHO there is a chronic bronchitis if cough and sputum production (productive cough) exist in two consecutive years for at least three months. From a "simple chronic bronchitis" is when occur only once by overproduction of mucus in the lungs cough and phlegm. At this stage, the changes in the lungs can even regress, if the cause of chronic bronchitis, such as smoking, is eliminated. If not, can develop COPD from chronic bronchitis.
COPD: COPD is usually a combination of a chronic obstructive bronchitis with emphysema - hence the term "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease". The changes in the lungs can no longer be entirely reversible at this stage.
Emphysema: Pulmonary emphysema is a lung overdistended. In the course of the disease COPD, the wall structure of the alveoli (alveolar) can be destroyed, which irrevocably expanded the airspaces. The lungs then no longer looks like a vine with grapes (as in a healthy person), but like a big balloon. Doctors refer to emphysema (overinflation of the lungs).
Exacerbated COPD: The term exacerbation is a relapsing, sudden worsening of COPD. Symptoms of COPD such as chronic cough, shortness of breath and mucus-like discharge take while acute. Exacerbations can be a stressful and threatening event for the patient. An exacerbation of COPD is a sign that the lung function deteriorated rapidly. The infektexazerbierte COPD is also accompanied by a viral or bacterial infection.