November is National COPD Awareness Month. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S and in Arkansas. But many people may not know what COPD is.
COPD, or Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a serious lung disease that over time, makes it hard to breathe. You may also have heard COPD called other names, like emphysema or chronic bronchitis. In people who have COPD, the airways—tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs—are partially blocked, which makes it hard to get air in and out.
Symptoms of COPD include:
