| COPD: Does This Sound Like You? “She sounded like an old Ford in the morning starting up, coughing, hacking. . .” —Participant at a Country Conquers COPD™ event about a girlfriend who had been diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). COPD, also known as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, is a serious lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. Damage to the airways and air sacs prevents enough air from flowing into and out of the lungs. COPD kills one American every 4 minutes. It's the third leading cause of death in the United States. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD, and it's estimated that another 12 million may have COPD and don't even know it. COPD most often occurs in people aged 40 years and older with a history of smoking (either current or former smokers), although as many as 1 out of 6 people with COPD never smoked. Learn more about COPD and view a video of how your lungs work. COPD Signs and Symptoms COPD develops slowly and gradually gets worse over time. Common signs and symptoms include: - An ongoing cough or a cough that produces large amounts of mucus (often called "smoker's cough")
- Shortness of breath, especially with physical activity
- Wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe)
- Chest tightness
These signs and symptoms often occur years before the flow of air into and out of the lungs declines and usually slowly worsen over time. You may not notice them at first, or you may adjust your lifestyle to make breathing easier. For example, you may take the elevator instead of the stairs. If you or someone you know has these signs and symptoms, see your doctor or health care provider. Although COPD has no cure yet, treatments and lifestyle changes can help you manage COPD and improve your quality of life. Learn more about COPD signs and symptoms and how COPD is diagnosed.
Country Conquers COPD™  Country Conquers COPD™ is a program of the COPD Learn More Breathe Better® campaign and is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Country Conquers COPD™ is traveling across the country to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of COPD and to encourage people at risk to talk with a doctor about diagnosis and treatment.
One event attendee said this about COPD: “My husband has COPD, and we've been dealing with it for about 10 years. You know what? I think it was gradual—we really didn't notice it, because I would notice him being short of breath during certain things but it didn't seem to affect him too much. Then all of a sudden he got up one day, and it was just like, you know, he said it was like a rock on his chest, and he just couldn't breathe. . . “When somebody in your family has COPD, it affects not only that person, but everybody in the family. It affects the kids, the grandkids—I mean, you know, he can't pick up the grandkids like he wants to, he can't go out and play with them like he wants to. . . . My husband wouldn't be able to function now if we didn't watch his disease and take care of his disease.” The Country Conquers COPD™ program will be at festivals and fairs across the country this summer and fall. Upcoming events at the time: - Idaho: Western Idaho State Fair, August 26–28 (Boise)
- Maryland: Maryland State Fair, September 3–5 (Timonium)
- New Hampshire:
- Rosencrantz Farm and Country Festival, August 13 (Kensington)
- Rochester Fair, September 16–25 (Rochester)
- New Mexico: Southern New Mexico State Fair, September 30–October 2 (Las Cruces)
- West Virginia:
- State Fair of West Virginia, August 12 (Lewisburg)
- 2011 Bridge Day Event, October 15 (Fayetteville)
View a schedule of upcoming Country Conquers COPD™ events. Browse COPD materials, including fact sheets, e-cards, and a resource kit. Join the Breathe Better Network. Photo: Country music artist Terri Clark wowed the crowd with a mix of old favorites and new songs at a Country Conquers COPD™ event held in Nashville, Tennessee.
View more Country Conquers COPD™ photos.
News and Events The Director's Corner: Children and Clinical Studies video screened at Genetic Alliance meeting
Congratulations to Vicki Pemberton and team, whose video about children in research studies (shown) from the NHLBI-hosted Children and Clinical Studies Web campaign was one of six short films selected to be shown at the annual Genetic Alliance conference. Meeting Summary: 2011 NHLBI Bariatric Surgery Workshop
Experts in the fields of bariatric surgery, cardiovascular disease, sleep disordered breathing, clinical trials, guidelines development, and insurance coverage met for 2 days in January 2011 to discuss conditions and strategies needed for the conduct of future clinical trials in the area of bariatric surgery. Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) Annual Meeting and National Health Conference
This meeting will be held August 8–15 in Portland, Oregon. COPD Learn More Breathe Better® and Country Conquers COPD™ are trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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