COPD - What You Need To Know

My Weekly's favourite GP Dr Sarah Jarvis from TV and radio writes for you

- Dr Sarah Jarvis

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is the most common lung problem in older people, and the number of people who have it is rising rapidly.

It's thought 1.2 million people in the UK have COPD, up from 835,000 in 2011. It gets more common with age - in fact, almost 1 in 20 over 40s has it.

Chronic means it's a long-term condition - it takes years to develop. Obstructive means the flow of air into the lungs is reduced - more about why that happens in a minute. And pulmonary is the medical term for anything related to the lungs.

COPD is actually a group of lung conditions. In the past, there were several names for it - one was chronic bronchitis and another emphysema. In COPD, the airways are narrowed and inflamed and your lungs may produce a lot of sticky mucus, which blocks the airways.

In addition, the air sacs deep inside the lungs (where oxygen is absorbed into your bloodstream) are often damaged.

By far the most common cause of COPD is smoking. Cigarettes, cigars and pipes can all lead to scarring and inflammation.

However, air pollution can make COPD worse and a small number of people have COPD because of an inherited lung problem.

The symptoms of COPD often come on gradually, with a cough usually the first sign you're affected.

Many people talk about a "smoker's cough" - but actually this is probably a sign that your lungs are beginning to show signs of damage. The cough is often fruity, and you bring up more sputum than usual. To begin with, your cough may come and go but over months or years it becomes more constant.

As the condition progresses, you're likely to find yourself getting short of breath more easily. You may just think you're not as fit as you were, but over time you'll find yourself getting breathless with less and less exertion.