COPD affects an estimated 24 million Americans and is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for over 100,000 deaths per year.
It's a combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Emphysema occurs when the alveoli in your lungs get damaged and can't effectively transfer oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Chronic bronchitis occurs when the bronchioles (the medium sized airways in your lungs) get inflamed.
There isn't a cure for COPD, but there are quite a few treatment options.
Some people use oxygen tanks to help them breathe.
There are also special inhalers that can help relax the airways and reduce inflammation to make it easier for air to enter the lungs.
A lot of people think COPD is caused by smoking.
Smoking can definitely be a factor, but COPD can be caused by other things too.
For example, hazardous environmental conditions like smog and pollution can be a contributing factor in causing COPD.
I personally do not have COPD and thankfully, no one that's close to me suffers from COPD.
My grandfather, however, did smoke a pack a day before he passed away 10 years ago.
The were pretty filthy cigarettes too - he rolled them himself, used a harsh, low quality tobacco and didn't put on a filter.
He died from stomach cancer, but it could have just as easily been COPD or lung cancer.
Since smoking is on the decline, we can all hope that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will become less and less prevalent.