Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease “COPD affects 24 million Americans and affects people in all 50 states” (COPD Across America Statistics). What exactly is this disease that affects so many people in the United States? It is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. COPD is described almost exactly as it sounds. It is a chronic condition that obstructs breathing, making it difficult to breathe. According to Mayo Clinic staff, it is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstruction of airflow from the lungs. This disease can be very debilitating. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States (What is COPD?, 2013). Many people may live with this condition without even realizing they have it because there are several different components to this condition. COPD is caused by two common conditions. It has many signs and symptoms, as well as some treatment or maintenance medications, as well as some precursors and complications. COPD is made up of two main conditions. These include chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Both of these conditions can be caused by a long-term environmental irritant or simply a genetic predisposition to COPD. This irritant can be cigarette smoke, second-hand smoke, environmental pollutants, or dust (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). This can cause serious damage to structures associated with the respiratory system, causing difficulty breathing and other symptoms associated with COPD. “Chronic bronchitis is inflammation of the lining of the bronchi, which carry air to and from the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs. It is characterized by daily production of cough and sputum. Emphysema is a condition in which the air sacs (alveoli) at the end of the smallest air...... middle of paper ......the indicator of this disease is smoking. This includes cigarettes, cigars or marijuana. “Some studies show that up to half of long-term smokers over the age of 60 have COPD (Thompson, E., Yoneda, K., 2014).” One of the best ways to avoid getting COPD is to quit smoking. Another precursor is long-term exposure to environmental irritants or pollutants. These can include dust, chemicals, second-hand smoke and general air pollutants. The final common precursor is genetic, namely alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. This deficiency alone can cause COPD. COPD affects millions of people. It has many signs and symptoms, some treatment options, and precursors that will need to be looked for. Although this disease affects many people, with the proper treatments or treatment one can live with it for many years and still enjoy a good quality and quantity of life..