Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

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Overview	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Alternative Names

COPD; Chronic obstructive airway disease; Chronic obstructive lung disease; Emphysema; Chronic bronchitis

Symptoms

Cough
Decreased exercise tolerance
Shortness of breath (dyspnea) lasting for months to years
Wheezing

Some people, even those with severe COPD, have few or no symptoms.

Exams and Tests

People with COPD may make wheezy air sounds, difficult-to-hear air sounds, or normal sounds when the doctor listens to them during an exam. In severe cases, a person with COPD can seem anxious and may breathe through pursed lips (the shape lips make when you whistle).

During a flare of the disease, the muscles between the ribs contract while the person is breathing in (intercostal retraction) and the person will use other muscles to breathe. The number of breaths per minute (respiratory rate) may be high.

A chest x-ray may show that the lung is expanding too much (hyperinflation). A chest CT scan may show emphysema.

A sample of blood taken from an artery (arterial blood gas) can show low levels of oxygen (hypoxemia) and high levels of carbon dioxide (respiratory acidosis). The best test for COPD is lung function testing.

References

Goldman L, Ausiello D.Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2007.


Spirometry


Emphysema


Bronchitis


Quitting smoking


COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder)


Smoking and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder)


Respiratory system

Review Date: 1/18/2008
Reviewed By: Andrew Schriber, MD, FCCP, Specialist in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Virtua Memorial Hospital, Mount Holly, New Jersey. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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