by Jill Heins, M.S. and Cheryl Sasse, RRT
Chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death and the second
leading cause of disability in the United States. More than 12 million
people are diagnosed with COPD and an additional 12 million likely
have the disease without knowing it.
Chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease is a serious lung disease that over time makes
it hard to breathe. You may have heard COPD called other names,
like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In people who have COPD,
the airways — tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs — are
partly blocked, which makes it hard to get air in and out.
COPD is relatively new
in the lung disease world. In 1903, more Minnesotans were dying
from tuberculosis—one in ten—than
from any other disease. At that time, the American Lung Association
of Minnesota (ALAMN) sent mobile x-ray units around the state to
screen for TB, as well as educate people about prevention.
As tuberculosis waned
and cigarette smoking came into vogue, ALAMN began to campaign
against tobacco use. Long before the Surgeon General’s
Report of 1964 declared smoking to be a cause of cancer, ALAMN
was educating Minnesotans about the dangers of smoking and developing
programs to help them quit.
Smoking is the most common cause of COPD, accounting for as many as
nine out of ten COPD-related deaths. The disease occurs most often
in people age 40 and over who have a history of smoking (current or
former smokers), but as many as one of six people with COPD never smoked.
ALAMN is currently focused on a broad-based COPD education and outreach
campaign.
COPD also can also occur in people who have had long-term exposure
to lung irritants such as certain chemicals, dust, or fumes in the
workplace. Heavy or long-term exposure to secondhand smoke or other
air pollutants many also contribute to COPD. In some people, COPD is
caused by a genetic condition known as alpha-1 antitrypsin, or AAT
deficiency. It is estimated as many as 100,000 Americans have AAT deficiency.
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For more information about COPD and ALAMN programming, visit www.alamn.org or call 651-227-8014.
Jill Heins, M.S. is the director of respiratory health with the American
Lung Association of Minnesota. Cheryl Sasse, RRT, directs professional
education for the American Lung Association of Minnesota.
A Test for COPD:
1. Do you cough several times most days?
2. Do you bring up phlegm or mucus most days?
3. Do you get out of breath more easily than others your age?
4. Are you older than 40?
5. Are you a current or former smoker?
Many people have COPD
and don’t know it. To find out if you
could have COPD, consider this short interactive questionnaire developed
by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. It
has been scientifically evaluated and shown to identify people
who are more likely to have COPD. If you answer “Yes” to
three or more of the above questions, you should talk to your doctor
about any trouble you have with your breathing. In addition, you
can take steps to reduce your exposure to COPD risk factors, such
as quitting smoking or encouraging your family members to do so. ![]()
