COPD Causes & Symptoms
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ) develops most often in Chornic smokers. Research supports the fact that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of developing COPD. Some studies indicate up to 50% of long-term smokers older than age 45 develop COPD. (Staton GW Jr, Ingram RH Jr (2004) ).
People at highest risk of developing COPD from pollutants include coal workers, construction workers, metal workers and cotton workers, amongst others – often known as black lung disease. In most cases, these pollutants are combined with cigarette smoking further increasing the chance of developing of COPD.
Occasionally there can be a deficiency known as alpha 1-anitrypsin which causes COPD.
Increasing age, male gender, allergy, repeated airway infection and general impaired lung function are related to the development of COPD.
