COPD Causes
You cannot get COPD from someone else.
COPD develops gradually over time, often resulting from a combination of risk factors:
tobacco exposure from active smoking or passive exposure to second-hand smoke;
occupational exposure to dusts, fumes or chemicals;
indoor air pollution: biomass fuel (wood, animal dung, crop residue) or coal is frequently used for cooking and heating in low- and middle-income countries with high levels of smoke exposure;
early life events such as poor growth in utero, prematurity, and frequent or severe respiratory infections in childhood that prevent maximum lung growth;
asthma in childhood; and
a rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which can cause COPD at a young age.
Smoking
Smoking is the main cause of COPD and is thought to be responsible for around 9 in every 10 cases.
The harmful chemicals in smoke can damage the lining of the lungs and airways. Stopping smoking can help prevent COPD from getting worse.
Some research also suggests that being exposed to other people’s cigarette smoke (passive smoking) may increase your risk of COPD.
Fumes and dust at work
Exposure to certain types of dust and chemicals at work may damage the lungs and increase your risk of COPD.
Substances that have been linked to COPD include:
cadmium dust and fumes
grain and flour dust
silica dust
welding fumes
isocyanates
coal dust
The risk of COPD is even higher if you breathe in dust or fumes in the workplace and you smoke.
Air pollution
Exposure to air pollution over a long period can affect how well the lungs work and some research suggests it could increase your risk of COPD.
But at the moment the link between air pollution and COPD is not conclusive and research is continuing.
Genetics
You’re more likely to develop COPD if you smoke and have a close relative with the condition, which suggests some people’s genes might make them more vulnerable to the condition.
Around 1 in 100 people with COPD has a genetic tendency to develop the condition, called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. Alpha-1-antitrypsin is a substance that protects your lungs. Without it, the lungs are more vulnerable to damage.
The following may raise your risk of COPD.
Smoking: This is the main risk factor for COPD. Most people who have COPD smoke or used to smoke. People who have a family history of COPD are more likely to develop the disease if they smoke.
Other lung irritants: These may include long-term exposure to air pollution, chemical fumes and dust from the environment or workplace, smoke from home cooking and heating fuels without ventilation, and secondhand smoke, which is smoke in the air from other people smoking.
Changes to lung growth and development: Diseases affecting the lungs when a baby is still in the uterus or during childhood can increase the risk.
Infections: Conditions such as HIV and tuberculosis can raise your risk.
Age: Your age may play a role in COPD risk if you have other risk factors, such as smoking. Most people who have COPD are at least 40 years old when symptoms begin.
A condition that runs in families, called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency: If you are born with this condition, smoking or long-term exposure to fumes or dust can lead to lung damage and COPD. AAT deficiency can also raise your risk for developing COPD at a younger age.
Asthma: About 1 in 5 people who have COPD also have asthma, a lung disease that causes swelling and narrows the airways.
In healthy lungs, the air that is breathed in travels down bronchial tubes, which often branch many times into thousands of smaller, thinner tubes called bronchioles. These tubes end in bunches of tiny round air sacs called alveoli, which are elastic or stretchy.
In COPD, less air flows in and out of the airways because of one or more reasons:
The airways and air sacs lose their elastic quality.
The walls between many of the air sacs are destroyed.
The walls of the airways become thick and inflamed.
The airways make more mucus than usual and can become clogged.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE COPD:
• Become short of breath while doing everyday activities
they used to do with ease.
• Produce excess sputum.
• Cough frequently, or constantly. Some call this a
“smoker’s cough.”
• Wheeze.
• Feel like they can’t breathe.
• Are unable to take a deep breath.
AS TIME GOES BY, THESE SYMPTOMS
GET GRADUALLY WORSE.
COPD develops slowly, and can worsen over time. Many people
with COPD avoid activities they used to enjoy because they
become short of breath so easily. When COPD becomes severe, it
can get in the way of doing even the most basic tasks, such as light
housekeeping, taking a walk, bathing and getting dressed.
COPD IS SERIOUS, YET MANY
DON’T KNOW THEY HAVE IT.
As we age, it’s easy to think that some of the symptoms of COPD
are just part of “getting older.” But they’re not. If you think you have
even mild symptoms, tell your doctor or health care provider as
soon as possible.
COPD is a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming
more than 150,000 American lives each year. More than 16 million
people have been diagnosed and several additional millions likely
have COPD and don’t know it.
Spirometry is a common,
noninvasive lung function test
that can detect COPD before
symptoms become severe.
It measures the amount of air
you can blow out of your lungs
(volume) and how fast you can
blow it out (flow). That way, your
doctor or health care provider
can tell if you have COPD, and
how severe it is. The spirometry
reading can help determine the
best course of treatment.
COULD Ι BE AT RISK FOR COPD?
YES, IF Ι:
USED TO SMOKE, OR STILL DO
COPD most often occurs in people age 40 and over who are
current or former smokers. Smoking is the most common
cause of COPD, accounting for as many as 9 out of 10 COPD related deaths. However, as many as 1 out of 4 people who
have COPD never smoked.
HAVE LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO LUNG IRRITANTS
COPD can also occur in people who have had long-term
exposure to things that can irritate your lungs, like certain
chemicals, dust, or fumes in the workplace. Heavy or long term exposure to secondhand smoke or other air pollutants
may also contribute to COPD.
HAVE A GENETIC CONDITION CALLED AAT DEFICIENCY
As many as 100,000 Americans have alpha-1 antitrypsin, or
AAT deficiency. They can get COPD even if they have never
smoked or had long-term exposure to harmful pollutants.
COPD Among Women
In the past, COPD was often thought of as a man’s disease, but things have changed in the past couple of decades. Since 2000, more women than men have died from COPD in the United States.4 In 2018, chronic lower respiratory disease, primarily COPD, was the fourth leading cause of death among US women.4 The age-adjusted death rates for COPD have dropped among US men, but death rates have not changed for women.5 More women than men are also living with COPD in the United States.5
There are several reasons why COPD might affect women differently than men.6 Women tend to be diagnosed later than men, when the disease is more advanced and treatment is less effective. Women also seem to be more vulnerable to the effects of tobacco and other harmful substances, such as indoor air pollution. For example, tobacco smoke is the main cause of COPD in the United States, but women who smoke tend to get COPD at younger ages and with lower levels of smoking than men who smoke. There also appear to be differences in how women and men respond to different treatments.
Stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are the 2nd and 3rd leading causes of death, responsible for approximately 11% and 6% of total deaths respectively.
There is no cure for COPD, but early diagnosis and treatment are important to slow the progression of symptoms and reduce the risk of flare-ups.
COPD should be suspected if a person has typical symptoms, and the diagnosis confirmed by a breathing test called spirometry, which measures how the lungs are working. In low- and middle-income countries, spirometry is often not available and so the diagnosis may be missed.
There are several actions that people with COPD can take to improve their overall health and help control their COPD.
1. Stop smoking.
2. Take each medicine the way
the doctor says to take it.
Go to the doctor at least two
times a year for checkups.
Ask if you can get a flu shot.
3. Go to the hospital or doctor
right away if your breathing gets bad.
4. Keep the air clean at home.
Stay away from things like smoke
that make it hard to breathe.
5. Keep your body strong.
Walk, exercise regularly and eat healthy foods.
6. If your COPD is severe, get the most
out of your breath.
Make life as easy as possible at home
References:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-(copd)
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/copd/causes
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/causes/