COPD is simply a term used to shorten the actual name of this pulmonary/lung disease called "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease". It can strike anyone at any age but is more common in previous or present smokers. Some previous smokers reverse the disease, but this is not common. They can however, at the least, improve the disease by stopping their smoking and getting involved in an aerobic exercise regimen, gradually increasing their routine always at tolerance level. Why is COPD not simply called a type of asthma? With chronic obstruction in the lungs, this term actually means continued difficulty with breathing, while asthma is usually an intermittent condition in which there are short periods of severe dyspnea (labored breathing), that is set-off by seasonal allergies, foods, too much physical activity, cold weather or simply for unknown reasons (idiopathic). Also, asthma can often be brought under control by bronchodilator medications, called “rescue inhalers”.

These medications send-out small puffs of this medication that enter the lungs, even if by a small amount at first and they open-up lung passages that constrict sometimes to the point that an asthmatic person feels as if they are breathing through a straw. Different people with asthma will have different severities in symptoms, from mild difficulty in breathing to actual life-threatening attacks. Therefore, asthmatics should always carry a rescue inhaler with them. COPD patients can have a mix of their disease, along with asthma and they also should always carry a rescue inhaler with them. Because many asthma patients are below adult age, their lungs are still developing, and they may outgrow the disease. Unfortunately for others, their asthma can become COPD many years later in life. This is a fact publishing in some studies reported by the US National Institutes of Health. One factor mentioned earlier is smoking. If asthmatics can avoid that habit, even if they feel their asthma has subsided and if they can avoid being around second-hand smoke, their chances of developing COPD are greatly reduced.

When someone with COPD stops smoking, their lung function can, at that point, begin to diminish at the rate of a non-smoker. The already-present COPD for most, however, does not reverse but their remaining lifespan will become that of a person without lung disease, from that point forward. Diminished lung function happens to everyone with age but as is stated about most other diseases, a healthy diet and a regular exercise regimen, including the aerobic type, will make for an overall healthier body, obviously including the lungs.

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Author's Bio: 

Many of my other published written works on Amazon and other outlets, have been about health disorders/diseases. I literally researched 1,000s of hours in order to compile the best possible information for them in my own words, that could fit into 6,000 to 12,000 word-length books. I do have some that are much longer. Most people who are ill with these diseases are not looking for lengthy dissertations, in order to obtain the most important information that most laypersons are seeking (non-medical professionals, who are patients). Very few doctors have time to thoroughly educate their patients. The reputable information that is available online, usually requires searching multiple sites to find all the abridged, full-spectrum, layperson information needed by uninformed patients.

When you are seriously ill, lengthy online search is not always the preferred option. Hopefully that statement will help those readers out there, complaining of layperson authors, covering medical information in books and articles. Especially with medical errors being the 3rd leading cause of death in the USA. I certainly hope it does because many of us who do so, have spent many years gleaning the best possible information to share with fellow patients.