Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

What Is COPD?

Once known as two separate conditions (emphysema and chronic bronchitis), COPD is a serious, disabling lung disease that makes breathing difficult.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)  is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States and a significant cause of disability.

Coughing and short of breath? Feeling a little more tired than usual after a day of walking? These could be symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive loss of lung function that affects millions of Americans. "The most common symptom is shortness of breath," says Norman Edelman, MD, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association in Washington, D.C. "It may be very subtle. A person might just think 'I'm getting a little puffy on the golf course, I'm getting old, fat.' People tend to put it aside and not worry about it."

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