Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Microchapters |
Differentiating Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from other Diseases |
---|
Diagnosis |
Treatment |
Case Studies |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes On the Web |
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes |
Directions to Hospitals Treating Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
Risk calculators and risk factors for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Philip Marcus, M.D., M.P.H. [2]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [3]
Overview
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), is a group of diseases characterized by the pathological limitation of airflow in the airway that is not fully reversible. COPD is the umbrella term for chronic bronchitis, emphysema and a range of other lung disorders. It is most often due to tobacco smoking,[1] but can be due to other airborne irritants such as coal dust, asbestos or solvents, congenital conditions such as alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency and as well as preserved meats containing nitrites.