Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease. Having COPD makes it hard to breathe.
There are two main forms of COPD:
Chronic bronchitis, which involves a long-term cough with mucus
Emphysema, which involves damage to the lungs over time
Most people with COPD have a combination of both conditions.
Smoking is the main cause of COPD. The more a person smokes, the more likely that person will develop COPD. But some people smoke for years and never get COPD.
If a person has a rare condition in which they lack a protein called
, they can develop emphysema even without smoking.
Other risk factors for COPD are:
Exposure to certain gases or fumes in the workplace
Exposure to heavy amounts of secondhand smoke and pollution
Frequent use of a cooking fire without proper ventilation
Symptoms may include any of the following:
, with or without mucus
Frequent respiratory infections
Shortness of breath (
) that gets worse with mild activity
Trouble catching one's breath
Because the symptoms develop slowly, many people may not know that they have COPD.
The typical test for COPD is a lung function test called
. This involves blowing out as hard as possible into a small machine that tests air movement and lung capacity. The results can be checked right away.
Using a stethoscope to listen to the lungs can also be helpful, showing prolonged expiratory time or wheezing. But sometimes, the lungs sound normal, even when a person has COPD.
Imaging tests of the lungs, such as
and
may be ordered. With an x-ray, the lungs may look normal, even when a person has COPD. A CT scan will almost always show signs of COPD if it is present.
Sometimes, a blood test called
may be done to measure the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
If your health care provider suspects you have alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a
will likely be ordered to detect this condition.
There is no cure for COPD. But there are many things you can do to relieve symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse.
If you smoke,
. This is the best way to slow lung damage.
Medicines used to treat COPD include:
to help open the airways
to reduce lung inflammation
Anti-inflammatory medicines to reduce swelling in the airways
Certain long-term antibiotics
In severe cases or during flare-ups, you may need to receive:
Steroids by mouth or through a vein (intravenously)
Bronchodilators through a nebulizer
Oxygen therapy
Assistance from a
(ventilator) to help breathing by using a mask or through the use of an endotracheal tube
Your provider may prescribe antibiotics during symptom
, because an infection can make COPD worse.
You may need
at home if you have a low level of oxygen in your blood.
Pulmonary rehabilitation does not cure COPD. But it can teach you more about the disease, train you to breathe in a different way so you can stay active and feel better, and keep you functioning at the highest level possible.
LIVING WITH COPD
You
to keep COPD from getting worse, protect your lungs, and stay healthy.
Walk to build up strength:
Ask your provider or respiratory therapist how far to walk.
Slowly increase how far you walk.
Avoid talking if you get short of breath when you walk.
Use pursed lip breathing when you breathe out, to empty your lungs before the next breath.
Things you can do to make it easier for yourself around the home include:
Avoid very cold air or very hot weather
Make sure no one smokes in your home
Reduce air pollution by not using the fireplace and getting rid of other irritants
Use oxygen if prescribed for you
, including fish, poultry, and lean meat, as well as fruits and vegetables. If it is hard to keep your weight up, talk to a provider or dietitian about eating foods with more calories, by eating small frequent meals.
Surgery or other interventions may be used to treat COPD. Only a few people benefit from these surgical treatments:
One-way valves can be inserted with a bronchoscopy to help deflate parts of the lung that are hyperinflated (overinflated) in select people.
Surgery to remove parts of the diseased lung, which can help less-diseased parts work better in some people with emphysema (lung volume reduction surgery).
for a small number of very severe cases.
You can ease the stress of illness by joining a
. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone.
COPD is a long-term (chronic) illness. The disease will get worse more quickly if you do not stop smoking.
If you have severe COPD, you will be short of breath with most activities. You may be admitted to the hospital more often.
Talk with your provider about breathing machines and end-of-life care as the disease progresses.
Go to the emergency room or call 911 or the local emergency number if you have a rapid increase in shortness of breath.
COPD; Chronic obstructive airways disease; Chronic obstructive lung disease; Chronic bronchitis; Emphysema; Bronchitis - chronic
Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) website. 2024 GOLD report. Global strategy for prevention, diagnosis and management of COPD: 2024 report.
goldcopd.org/2024-gold-report/
. Accessed April 29, 2025.
Han MK, Lazarus SC. COPD: diagnosis and management. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 64.
National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. COPD national action plan.
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/COPD-national-action-plan
. Updated February 9, 2021. Accessed April 29, 2025.
Reilly J. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 76.
Rochester CL, Nici L. Pulmonary rehabilitation. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 139.
Updated by: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, VA New Jersey Health Care System, Clinical Assistant Professor, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.