All together to end COPD - On Health

All together to end COPD - On Health

Eleanor L Axson & Jennifer K Quint

Eleanor L Axson is a doctoral candidate studying Respiratory Epidemiology at Imperial College London’s National Heart and Lung Institute.

Jennifer K Quint is a Reader in Respiratory Epidemiology at Imperial College London’s National Heart and Lung Institute and is an Honorary Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine at Royal Brompton Hospital, London

All together to end COPD

COPD is a largely preventable disease, but relatively unknown - not just in the general public, but also among people at risk. The theme of the World COPD Day 2019 is ‘All Together to End COPD’. Patients, families, clinicians, and researchers in the COPD community are essential: only through sharing our knowledge and experiences can we raise awareness about COPD and how to end it.

Eleanor L Axson & Jennifer K Quint 20 Nov 2019

(Image by Semevent from Pixabay, CC0 license)

What is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is just not one disease. It is a group of diseases characterized by breathing difficulties. COPD includes emphysema, damaged air sacs in the lungs, chronic bronchitis, and inflamed airways. In COPD, the airways are narrowed due to inflammation, making it harder to breathe.