A lot of people have a cough that doesn't go away, or go up and down stairs and get shortness of breath, and they don't think about COPD. They could have a problem, though, and catching it in the beginning stages is crucial.
After 50 years of smoking unfiltered cigarettes, my father died, too young, of a massive heart attack. He was 69. It's almost certain that all those years of nicotine inhalation were a major contributor to his clogged arteries.
My sister, Dottie, suffered from COPD for quite a few years before we knew what it was. Hers was a form of emphysema, and she was 48 when she passed away.
My goal is people associate November with COPD awareness month as much as they notice October with breast cancer and pink. That'd be a great thing if it happened. The fact that COPD kills more people than breast cancer and diabetes put together should raise some red flags.
Figuring that smoking kills about a third of all those who smoke, this tax could prevent the premature death of at least 2 million Americans alive today.
COPD includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. Over time, it makes it harder and harder to breathe because less air is able to flow in and out of the lungs.
It's important for people to recognize that they shouldn't ignore symptoms like shortness of breath or a cough that won't go away, because these may be signs of COPD.
I use an inhaler myself and have done since I was 15.
