COPD Medical Reference
The Link Between Common Respiratory Infections and COPD
- Difference Between Vaporizer and Humidifier
Find out the differences between a vaporizer and humidifier. Discover the pros, cons, risks, and benefits, and how each may affect health.
- What Is Mycobacterium Bovis?
Mycobacterium bovis leads to tuberculosis. Learn about this condition's causes, symptoms, and treatment options today.
- What to Know About Acid Rain Health Effects
Acid rain happens because of pollution in the atmosphere. Learn more about the causes and the effects it has on the environment and our health.
- Managing Your Daily Routine With COPD
Daily activities can be a challenge when you have COPD. Learn how you can improve your quality of life by making changes to your daily routine.
- High Dew Point and COPD: What You Should Know
Dew point (the temperature at which air moisture condenses into water) may predict how easily you’ll breathe with COPD. Here’s what you should know.
- Tips to Clear Airways When You Have COPD
Learn about activities and tips you can practice at home to clear out your airways.
- Talking to Your Family and Friends About COPD
COPD can impact every part of your life, including your relationships. Get tips to help your family, friends, co-workers, and partner understand how COPD affects your daily life and how they can best support you.
- The Costs of COPD
Having a serious condition like COPD can bring high medical bills and other expenses. Find out about the costs and resources to help with them.
- COPD Flare: When You Need to Go to the Hospital
If you have a COPD flare-up that’s worse than usual, it could be a medical emergency. Find out when to go to the hospital for a COPD flare.
- COPD Medications
When you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), medications can go a long way to help you breathe more easily and boost your quality of life.
- The Emotional Side of COPD
If you have COPD, you may sometimes feel sad, guilty, or stressed. Find out how to deal with COPD's effects on your emotional health.
- COPD and Your Job
Managing a serious condition like COPD while juggling your job can be hard. Find out about your rights as an employee and how to work with your employer to stay productive while taking care of yourself.
- Why You Keep Getting Respiratory Infections
You can get frequent respiratory issues because of environmental or lifestyle influences. But sometimes, repeated infections are a sign of a more serious issue.
- Sleep Tips for People With COPD
If your COPD symptoms keep you from a good night’s sleep, learn how you can get the rest you need.
- Devices to Help With COPD
If your COPD makes everyday tasks harder to manage, you may want to look into devices that can help with those chores. Learn about the options.
- The Latest Research on COPD
Learn what experts are discovering about COPD, from prevention and diagnosis to potential treatments -- and what they still don’t understand about this condition.
- How Your COPD Treatment May Change Over Time
If you have COPD, your treatment may change throughout your disease. Find out what things you may need to do at each stage to better your quality of life.
- Home Remedies for Shortness of Breath
If you feel out of breath at times, you can take steps at home to help yourself feel better. Find out what you can do to improve your airflow.
- When Shortness of Breath Is an Emergency
If you suddenly find you can’t catch your breath, it could be a medical emergency. Find out when to call 911 for shortness of breath.
- What to Know About COPD and Cough
COPD can cause a heavy, ongoing cough with lots of mucus. Learn how a technique called controlled coughing and other simple steps can ease your cough.
- What Is COPD Hypoxia?
COPD can lead to hypoxia, which is when cells or tissues in your body don’t get as much oxygen as they need. Learn more about its symptoms, causes, and treatments.
- What to Know About COPD and Lung Cancer
Both lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect your lungs. Both can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing.
- What to Know About Vitamin D and COPD
If you have COPD and low vitamin D levels, supplements may help you avoid flares and live better with the condition.
- Coronavirus and COPD: What You Should Know
If you have COPD, COVID-19 may pose extra harm to your health. Here’s what you should know and how to protect yourself.
- Stage 1 (Mild) Emphysema
Emphysema is a serious condition that slowly destroys lung tissue and makes it hard for you to breathe. Find out how doctors define stage 1 of this disease and what you can do.
- Stage 4 (Very Severe) Emphysema
Emphysema is a serious condition that slowly destroys lung tissue and makes it hard for you to breathe. Find out how doctors define stage 4 of this disease and what you can do.
- Stage 2 (Moderate) Emphysema
Emphysema is a serious condition that slowly destroys lung tissue and makes it hard for you to breathe. Find out how doctors define the stages of this disease and what you can do.
- COPD and Vaping
While it’s possible that e-cigarettes could be less toxic than the real thing, they’re not a good choice for anyone with COPD.
- Can an Air Purifier Help With COPD?
Should you shell out for an air purifier if you have COPD? Learn how portable air purifiers can help ease COPD symptoms and ward off heart disease.
- Complementary and Alternative Therapies for COPD
Acupuncture, yoga, massage, and some herbal remedies and supplements -- like NAC, vitamin D, ginseng, and salvia -- may be touted for COPD. Get the facts.
- End-Stage COPD and Hospice
You can’t control the final stages of your COPD, but you can decide how and where you die. Learn when it’s time for hospice or palliative care, and how they can help guide you through your end-of-life decisions.
- When to Consider Surgery for COPD
If you have advanced COPD and your symptoms are affecting your quality of life, certain types of surgery may help.
- Asthma vs. COPD: What's the Difference?
Asthma and COPD are two lung diseases with similar symptoms. Learn how to spot the differences and which treatments can help.
- Chronic Bronchitis Overview
Your constant coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath could be a sign of a serious illness called chronic bronchitis.
- Emphysema vs. Chronic Bronchitis
Both emphysema and chronic bronchitis can cause breathing problems, so it can be hard to tell them apart. Learn the key differences between the two.
- Avoiding the Hospital When You Have COPD
Even when you're managing your COPD well, you could still end up in the hospital with a bad exacerbation. You can't change the severity of your disease, but you can take steps to lower your odds in other ways.
- COPD Bloating: Why It Happens and What You Can Do
Find out why some people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can get stomach problems like too much gas and bloating, and what you can do if it happens to you.
- Hypercapnia (Hypercarbia)
Find out the connection between hypercapnia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Learn the warning signs of hypercapnia, a condition that happens when too much carbon dioxide builds up in your bloodstream.
- End-Stage COPD (Stage IV)
Learn about the symptoms, tests, and treatment for stage IV chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Stage III (Severe Stage) COPD
Learn about symptoms, tests, and treatment for stage III (severe) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Stage II (Moderate Stage) COPD
Learn about the symptoms, tests you might need, and treatments for stage II (moderate stage) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Stage I (Early Stage) COPD
Find out what symptoms to look for in stage 1 COPD, tests you might need, and what kind of treatment can help.
- COPD Complications and Other Conditions
Common problems related to COPD can snowball if left untreated. Fortunately, it's simple to prevent or manage many of them.
- Your Treatment Choices for Moderate-to-Severe COPD
Find out how treatments like medicine, oxygen therapy, and pulmonary therapy can help you feel better and breathe easier if you have moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- What's the Link Between COPD and Heart Failure?
WebMD explains the similarities and differences between COPD and heart failure and how the two conditions are treated together.
- COPD Stages and the GOLD Criteria
COPD has different stages that help your doctor know how to best treat your COPD. WebMD explains categories and their meaning.
- Which Devices Help Treat COPD?
Although there is no cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inhaled medications can reduce COPD symptoms. Get the facts about inhalers and nebulizers.
- What Is Pulmonary Rehab for COPD?
If you’ve been diagnosed with COPD, your doctor might suggest pulmonary rehab. Learn about this program of exercise, counseling, and more.
- COPD Causes and Risk Factors
Smoking is the most likely reason you’re get COPD. Find out what else can cause ongoing lung disease and what you can do to lower your chances of getting it.