Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
From the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention
What Is COPD?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary dis-
ease (COPD) refers to a group of diseases
that cause airflow blockage and breathing-
related problems. COPD includes emphy-
sema, chronic bronchitis and in some
cases, asthma. 1
With COPD, less air flows through
the airways – the tubes that carry air in
and out of your lungs – because of one or
more of the following: 2,3
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The airways and tiny air sacs in the
lungs lose their ability to stretch and
shrink back.
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The walls between many of the air
sacs are destroyed.
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The walls of the airways become thick
and inflamed (irritated and swollen).
The airways make more mucus than
usual, which can clog them and block
air flow.
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In the early stages of COPD, there
may be no symptoms or you may only
have mild symptoms, such as: 4
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A nagging cough (often called “smok-
er’s cough”)
Shortness of breath, especially with
physical activity
Wheezing (a whistling sound when
you breathe)
Tightness in the chest
As the disease gets worse, symptoms
may include: 4
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Having trouble catching your breath
or talking
Blue or gray lips and/or fingernails
(a sign of low oxygen levels in your
blood)
Trouble with mental alertness
A very fast heartbeat
Swelling in the feet and ankles
Weight loss
How severe your COPD symptoms are
depends on how damaged your lungs are.
If you keep smoking, the damage will get
worse faster than if you stop smoking. 4
Among 15 million U.S. adults with COPD,
39 percent continue to smoke. 5
Also, stay away from secondhand smoke,
which is smoke from burning tobacco
products, such as cigarettes, cigars or
pipes. 6,9,10 Secondhand smoke also is
smoke that has been exhaled, or breathed
out, by a person smoking. 9,10
Treatment of COPD requires a careful
and thorough exam by a doctor. 1 Quitting
smoking is the most important first step
you can take to treat COPD. Avoiding
secondhand smoke is also critical. Other
lifestyle changes and treatments include
one or more of the following:
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How Can COPD Be Prevented?
The best way to prevent COPD is to
never start smoking, and if you smoke,
quit. 8 Talk with your doctor about pro-
grams and products that can help you quit.
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Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Tribal Maternal, Infant & Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
Naytlh - ‘a “We Carry the Children”
How has the Siletz Tribal Home Visiting Program helped you and your family
since participating?
“The home visiting program has helped prepare us for our new addition by letting us know what is to be
expected before and after the baby comes and how to best deal with certain situations that come up.”
– Andrea & Robert, 4 months in the program
“I’ve learned all the things I thought I should know that I did not know already with the help and support of
the program. Siletz Tribal Home Visiting Program helped me become a better mom.”
– Shyann, 1 year in the program
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“I feel like Siletz Tribal home visits have helped me be more on track when it comes to my child’s development.
Home visits have also helped me keep a better schedule, helping my whole family.”
– Jennifer, 1 year and 9 months in the program
“Getting the help when you’re a new parent is life-saving, to know you are doing it right and if not, finding out
the right way.”
–Samantha, 1 year in the program
“The program has helped me to realize there are a lot of different ways to parent and there is always help if you
are willing to look for it. The Siletz Home Visiting Program has helped make my life a little simpler just
knowing I have resources to help me be the best mom I can be.”
– Chandra, 1 year and 10 months in the program
“The Siletz Home Visiting Program has helped me with my child’s growth, my motivation with being a parent
and I’ve also established a friendship.”
– Britnee, 1 year and 8 months in the program
“Home Visiting Program helped us better understand the developmental milestones that our child is at and
also the reassurance that each child is unique and not to be worried. The program has been helpful,
especially with different resources also.”
– Ale & Seth, 1 year and 1 month in the program
“As a first-time mom, Siletz Home Visiting Program has been a good addition to my support system, not
only emotionally, but also mentally.”
-Janet, 1 year and 1 month in the program
If you are interested in or have any questions about our Siletz Tribal Home Visiting Program,
please call Jessica Phillips, Program Coordinator, at 541-484- 4234.
To learn more about COPD, visit
the National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute’s COPD Learn More Breathe
Better webpage (nhlbi.nih.gov/health/
educational/copd/).
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To find peer support, an online com-
munity and events in your area, visit
the COPD Foundation website and
360Social (copdfoundation.org).
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To join a network of patients
affected by COPD, visit the COPD
Patient-Powered Research Network
(copdfoundation.org/Research/
COPD-Patient-Powered-Research-
Network/COPD-PPRN-Why-you-
should-enroll.aspx), which is a lung
health research registry.
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To learn more about lung health and
diseases, visit the American Lung
Association’s COPD webpage (lung.
org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-
disease-lookup/copd/).
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To find peer support and resources
for patients and caregivers, contact
the COPD Information Line at 866-
316-2673.
How Is COPD Treated?
How Is Smoking Related
to COPD?
COPD is usually caused by smoking. 3
Smoking accounts for as many as 8 out
of 10 COPD-related deaths. 6 However, as
many as 1 out of 4 Americans with COPD
never smoked cigarettes. 5
Smoking during childhood and teen-
age years can slow how lungs grow and
develop. This can increase the risk of
developing COPD in adulthood. 7
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For people with COPD who have
trouble eating because of shortness
of breath or being tired: 11
o Following a special meal plan with
smaller, more frequent meals
o Resting before eating
o Taking vitamins and nutritional
supplements
A broad program that helps improve
the well-being of people who have
chronic (ongoing) breathing problems
and includes the following: 12
o Exercise training
o Nutritional counseling
o Education on your lung disease or
condition and how to manage it
o Energy-conserving techniques
o Breathing strategies
o Psychological counseling and/or
group support
Medicines such as:
o A bronchodilator to relax the
muscles around the airways. This
helps open airways and makes
breathing easier. Most broncho-
dilators are taken with a device
called an inhaler. 11
o A steroid drug you inhale to
reduce swelling in the airways. 11
o Antibiotics to treat respiratory
infections, if appropriate 1
o A vaccination during flu season 1
Oxygen therapy, which can help
people who have severe COPD and
low levels of oxygen in their blood to
breathe better 11
Surgery for people who have severe
symptoms that have not improved with
other treatments 11
o Lung volume reduction surgery
(LVRS): Surgery to remove dis-
eased parts of the lung so healthier
lung tissue can work better. LVRS
is not a cure for COPD.
o A lung transplant: Surgery in
which one or two healthy lungs
from a donor are put in the patient’s
body to replace diseased lungs. A
lung transplant is a last resort.
Even though there is no cure for COPD,
these lifestyle changes and treatments can
help you breathe easier, stay more active
and slow the progress of the disease. 11
References
1.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What Is COPD? [last updated 2015 Mar 12;
accessed 2015 Nov 11].
2.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
How Does COPD Affect Breathing? [accessed
2015 Nov 11].
3.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
What Is COPD? [last updated 2013 July 31;
accessed 2015 Nov 11].
4.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What
Are the Signs and Symptoms of COPD? [last
updated 2013 July 31; accessed 2015 Nov 11].
5.
Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Dis-
ease Among Adults—United States, 2011.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
2012;61(46):938–43 [accessed 2015 Nov 11].
6.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser-
vices. The Health Consequences of Smok-
ing—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the
Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and
Health, 2014 [accessed 2015 Nov 11].
7.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
A Report of the Surgeon General. Preventing
Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults:
We CAN Make the Next Generation Tobacco-
Free. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office
on Smoking and Health [accessed 2015 Nov 11].
8. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
How Can COPD Be Prevented? [last updated
2013 July 31; accessed 2015 Nov 11].
9.
Institute of Medicine. Secondhand Smoke
Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Mak-
ing Sense of the Evidence. Washington:
National Academy of Sciences, Institute of
Medicine, 2009 [accessed 2015 Nov 11].
10. National Toxicology Program. Report
on Carcinogens, 13 th Edition. Research
Triangle Park (NC): U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service, 2014 [accessed 2015 Nov 11].
Additional Resources
11. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Insti-
tute. How Is COPD Treated? [last updated
2013 July 31; accessed 2015 Nov 11].
The following resources provide
information and support to people with
COPD and their caregivers:
12. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
What Is Pulmonary Rehabilitation? [last
updated 2010 Aug 1; accessed 2015 Nov 11.
June 2016
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Siletz News
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