What are the causes and symptoms of COPD? How can it be prevented?
COPD is related to smoking, clusters in families, and worsens with age. About 85 percent of cases are directly associated with smoking and a small percentage with second-hand smoking. The reason for the other 15 percent is not well known but, in part, is attributed to genetic risk factors. The genetics are not well worked out yet, except for one rare type, attributed to the deficiency of a protective protein, alpha 100-antitrypsin, which is responsible for 3 to 5 percent of all COPD patients. The most common symptoms are a chronic nagging cough followed by shortness of breath upon exertion especially when these symptoms are progressive and unrelenting over many years. COPD is a very insidious and irreversible disease. It may affect an individual for 30 to 40 years, yet during the first 50 percent of its natural history, there are usually no symptoms at all. That’s why it’s so important for people especially smokers to diagnose this disease early. With early diagnosis, you can really be
