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What is COPD?
Also known as “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”, COPD is the collective term for several lung diseases that can limit your breathing. While cigarette smoking is the most significant risk factor, other common contributors include asthma, hazardous exposures in the workplace and air pollution.
There is no cure for COPD, but the earlier it is detected, the earlier that proactive management could lessen the chance of major lung damage and severe disease.
COPD can be detected early by a simple breathing test, ideally when you are less than 60 years old.
There is no cure for COPD, but the earlier it is detected, the earlier that proactive management could lessen the chance of major lung damage and severe disease.
COPD can be detected early by a simple breathing test, ideally when you are less than 60 years old.
COPD is the third leading cause of potentially preventable hospitalization in Australia.1
That is, a hospital admission where the hospitalization could potentially have been prevented though an intervention or interventions that prevent or delay the onset of disease.
Ideally, people with COPD are identified before they go on and develop troublesome symptoms. And before they present to the health care system acutely when emergency treatment is needed.
Some symptoms might be the first sign of COPD
- Dry cough on most days for a couple of months
- Coughing up phlegm or mucus for a couple of months
- Wheezing or ‘whistling’ in the chest
- Breathless or ‘winded’ with exercise
- Frequent chest infections treated by your GP
- Reducing your normal activities due to uncomfortable breathing
- Reducing your normal activities due to chest discomfort (when not due to your heart)
…or you may not have any symptoms at all yet
If you have these symptoms, please see your doctor