Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also called COPD) is a
lung disease that makes it hard for you to breathe. COPD
includes two main illnesses: chronic bronchitis and emphysema
(say: “em-fa-see-ma”). Most people who have COPD have both of
these conditions. Your lungs have 2 main parts: bronchial tubes
(also called airways) and alveoli (also called air sacs). When
you breathe, the air moves down your trachea (or wind pipe)
through your bronchial tubes and into your alveoli. From the
alveoli, oxygen goes into your blood while carbon dioxide moves
out of your blood. If you have chronic bronchitis, the lining in
your bronchial tubes gets red, swollen, and full of mucus. This
mucus blocks your tubes and makes it hard to breathe. If you
have emphysema, you lose alveoli. This makes it hard for you to
get oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of your blood. It also
makes it harder to exhale (breathe out). This content has been
supported by Forest Laboratories Inc. COPD can cause a variety
of symptoms, including: At