Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (or COPD) damages the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. COPD is made up of 2 conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema damages the air sacs in the lungs. Chronic bronchitis damages the airways leading to the lungs. COPD affects 16 million people in the United States and is most often caused by smoking. Visit the following Web sites for more information about COPD.
Visit www.familydoctor.org to learn about the causes of COPD and how it is treated. Did you know that the best way to prevent COPD is to stop smoking? Read Steps to Help You Break the Habit to find tips to help you quit smoking and improve your overall health.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_WhatIs.html: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute - What is COPD? What causes this condition? How is it treated? Find answers to these questions and more on the National Heart Blood and Lung Web site. On this site, you can also find information on what you can do to help prevent COPD.
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35020: American Lung Association - Did you know that COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in America? If you want to learn more about COPD facts, visit the American Lung Association Web site. COPD can turn simple tasks, such as shopping or cleaning the house, into a challenge. Visit http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=3004005 for helpful hints on how to cope with COPD.
http://www.tarwars.org/: Tar Wars - Tobacco smoking causes more than 430,000 deaths every year. It is also the main risk factor for COPD. Tar Wars is a tobacco-free education program for kids from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Visit the Tar Wars Web site and learn ways to help your child live a tobacco-free life.