# Presentation: 505969

## Presenting Organization

- Event Name
- Event Date
- Presenter Name, Title

- www.LearnAboutCOPD.org

**Notes:**
Good (morning, afternoon, evening). My name is (name here).  I am (title, organization, background).
I am pleased to be here today to speak to you about a very serious disease that many of you have likely never heard of – COPD.  (Adapt for patient-only groups.)
(Engage audience) By a show of hands, how many of you here today have heard of COPD?

## Today’s Session Will Cover

- Definition of COPD
- How COPD affects breathing
- Symptoms of COPD
- How you can find out if you are at risk
- Talking to your doctor
- Getting on the road to better lung health
- Resources

**Notes:**
Today we have a lot of ground to cover.  The topics we’ll discuss are: 
(read slide)
Definition of COPD
How COPD affects breathing
Symptoms of COPD
How you can find out if you are at risk
Talking to your doctor
Getting on the road to better lung health
Resources

## What is COPD?

**C**hronic **O**bstructive **P**ulmonary **D**isease
- Serious lung disease that over time makes it hard to breathe
- Emphysema
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Blocked (obstructed) airways make it hard to get air in and out

**Notes:**
So what is COPD?  It stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

COPD is a serious lung disease that progresses slowly and over time, makes it very difficult to breathe.  You may also have heard it called by other names.  Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are forms of COPD.  COPD is a general term that includes a spectrum of diseases.  Very often a doctor may say “you have emphysema” when the person has elements of both emphysema and chronic bronchitis.  In fact, it is common for people to have elements of both, which is why we prefer the term COPD. In people who have COPD, the airways, or tubes that carry air from the nose and mouth into the lungs, are partially blocked—either because of thickening and mucus, or because the airways are floppy and collapse, or both.  

## Did You Know?

- 4th leading cause of death
- Kills more than 120,000 people per year
- 2nd leading cause of disability
- 12 million+ have COPD
- Another 12 million may have it but don’t know it

**Notes:**
COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.  This applies to men and women.  The disease kills more than 120,000 Americans each year—that’s one death every 4 minutes.  You may be curious what those other leading killers are—they are heart disease, cancer, and stroke.  Among those diseases, COPD is the only one with the numbers of deaths increasing.  The rates among women have increased dramatically in the last 50 years, such that in 2002, more women than men died of COPD.

COPD is also a leading cause of disability.  When severe, it interferes with your ability to do everyday things like take a shower or tie your shoes.  However, early on, the signs may be very subtle and many people might think they have gained weight, are out of shape, or are just getting older.  They may make small changes in their lives to accommodate, like avoiding a hill, giving up a sport, or carrying less at one time. 

More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD, and an additional 12 million likely have the disease and don't even know it.  As I said, the symptoms early on can be very subtle—not enough to prompt people to seek medical attention and get a diagnosis. 

## How Does COPD Affect Breathing?

**Notes:**
Healthy airways and air sacs in the lungs are elastic—they try to bounce back to their original shape after being stretched or filled with air, the way a new rubber band or balloon does.  This elastic quality helps retain the normal structure of the lung and helps move air quickly in and out. 

In people with COPD, the air sacs no longer bounce back to their original shape. They become floppy and not as elastic.  Picture a bag made of cellophane compared with a rubber balloon.  The “cellophane” airways—those without support, collapse, blocking the air flow out of the lungs.  The harder the person tries to breathe out, the more the airways collapse.  The airways can also become swollen or thicker than normal, and lined with mucus.

## What Are the Symptoms?

- Coughing - “smoker’s cough”
- Shortness of breath
- Excess sputum or phlegm
- Feeling like you can’t breathe
- Can’t take deep breath
- Wheezing

**Notes:**
So as we saw in the diagram, this blockage, or obstruction, caused by COPD can make breathing difficult.  So what are the symptoms?  Symptoms of COPD include (read list from slide).
Coughing—“smoker’s cough”
Shortness of breath while doing activities you used to be able to do
Excess sputum or phlegm
Feeling like you can’t breathe
Can’t take a deep breath
Wheezing

For the millions of Americans with untreated COPD, shortness of breath and other symptoms can get in the way of even the most basic day-to-day tasks—from doing housework, to taking a walk, or even bathing and getting dressed. 

It’s important to remember that COPD develops slowly, so if you recognize any of these symptoms, no matter how mild you think they are, talk with your doctor as soon as possible.  

## Symptoms

***When it’s hard to breathe, it’s hard to do anything***
- People with COPD:
- avoid activities that they used to do more easily
- limit activity to accommodate shortness of breath and other symptoms.  Some activities include:
- Take elevator instead of stairs.
- Park close by instead of walking.
- Avoid shopping or other similar day-to-day tasks.
- Stay home rather than go out with friends.

**Notes:**
COPD symptoms may be more subtle at first.  Many people think they have just gained weight or are out of shape or are getting older.  They may make small changes in their lives to accommodate. 

Essentially, they begin to limit their level of activity to accommodate the disease, for example:
Taking elevator instead of stairs
Giving up a sport
Parking close by instead of walking
Carrying packages one at a time
Avoiding shopping or other similar day-to-day tasks 
Staying home rather than going out with friends

If you are beginning to experience shortness of breath you may avoid climbing stairs, or taking long walks.  You may find you have to stop mowing your own lawn or other daily activities. 

(Engage Audience) Is this the case with anyone here?  Are there any other examples you’d like to share? 

## Are You At Risk?

- Smoking
- Most common cause, however, as many of 1 out of 6 people with COPD never smoked
- Environmental exposure
- Chemicals, dusts, fumes
- Secondhand smoke, pollutants
- Genetic Factor
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency

**Notes:**
As we mentioned earlier in the presentation, many people who are at risk for getting COPD have never even heard of it.  That’s why it is so important to be aware of some of the things that put you at risk for COPD.  

These risk factors include:
Smoking—COPD most often occurs in people over age 40 with a history of smoking.  That being said, it is also important to note that as many as one out of six people with COPD never smoked. 
Environmental Exposure—COPD also occurs in people who have had long-term or heavy exposure to things that can irritate your lungs like chemicals, dusts, and fumes.
In some people, COPD is caused by a genetic condition known as alpha-1 antitrypsin, or AAT, deficiency.  People with AAT deficiency can get COPD even if they have never smoked or had long-term exposure to harmful pollutants. 
So you’re thinking maybe you may fall into one of these risk categories or you recognize one or more of the symptoms we discussed.  What do you do?

## Getting a Simple Breathing Test

- Talk with your doctor!
- Simple breathing test
- Spirometry
- Quick and noninvasive
- Can tell if you have COPD and how severe it is

**Notes:**
First and foremost, talk with your doctor about getting a simple breathing test, or lung function test—called spirometry.

Spirometry can detect COPD before symptoms become severe.  It is a simple test that measures the amount of air you can blow out of the lungs and how fast you can blow it out.  It’s fast, noninvasive, and doesn’t require any special preparation.  Based on this test, your doctor can tell if you have COPD, and if so, how severe it is. 

So, let’s say you’ve had the spirometry test and you’ve been diagnosed with COPD.  Now, what do you do?  

Again, first and foremost, talk with your doctor.  There are many things that you and your doctor can do together to slow the progress of the disease, manage symptoms, and improve your quality of life. 

## Treatments Can Help

- Lifestyle changes
- Quit smoking.  It’s never too late. (www.smokefree.gov)
- Medications
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Physical activity training
- Oxygen treatment
- Surgery

**Notes:**

Your doctor might recommend any one or a combination of treatments including: (read from slide)
Lifestyle changes
Quit smoking (www.smokefree.gov).  If you smoke, NOW is the time to stop. It is never too late to stop smoking.  While your lungs will not regrow, you can prevent further damage. In the past, smoking was considered just a bad habit.  But today, doctors have a much better understanding of nicotine addiction and what is needed to deal with it. Visit this website for the latest information on how to quit. 
Medications—to help open the airways
Pulmonary rehabilitation – a program that teaches you how to manage your disease, how to go about regular activities a little more easily and how to get into good condition.
Physical activity training—everyone should be getting physical activity.
Oxygen treatment—in severe cases, oxygen may make the person feel better and live longer.
Surgery—may be indicted in certain people who meet very specific criteria. 

Every patient is different—work with your doctor to determine what works best for you. 

## Start Today

- Talk with doctor about your risks, such as smoking and other exposures
- Tell your doctor about any symptoms
- Write down a list of questions

**Notes:**
Start today!
Talk with your doctor about your risks, such as smoking and other exposures.
Tell your doctor about any symptoms.
Make a list of breathing symptoms and think about any activities that you can no longer do, or do as easily because of shortness of breath.

## There Are Many Things You Can Do

- Quit smoking–Many new options available from your doctor
- Avoid exposure to pollutants and secondhand smoke
- Visit your doctor regularly
- Follow treatment advice
- Get annual flu and pneumonia shots

**Notes:**
There are many things you can do to breathe better:
Quit smoking—Many new options available from your doctor.
Avoid exposure to pollutants and secondhand smoke.
Visit your doctor regularly.
Follow treatment advice.
Get annual flu shots and check whether you should have pneumonia shots.

## Common Myths–Don’t Believe Them

- “My shortness of breath is just old age.”
- “There’s nothing my doctor can do except tell me to quit smoking.”
- “If I rest more, it will get better.”

**Notes:**
You might be thinking that the things I’ve mentioned may not necessarily apply to you.  Many people ignore their symptoms or avoid talking to their doctors because they don’t think there’s anything that will work for them.  This is simply not true.

As you can see on this slide, there are a number of “myths” about COPD, such as: (read slide)
“My shortness of breath is just old age.”
“There’s nothing my doctor can do except tell me to quit smoking.”
“If I rest more, it will get better.”

Many people may dismiss their shortness of breath as old age or believe that nothing can be done about a smoker’s cough, but this is simply not the case.  For example, there are many treatments and options for smoking cessation that have become available just over the last few years. 

## It All Begins With You

- Start today
- Be your own advocate–ask questions and seek information.

**Notes:**
Remember, it all begins with you!
Start today
Be your own advocate – ask questions and seek information

## Learn More Breathe Better

- _[www.LearnAboutCOPD.org](http://www.learnaboutcopd.org/)_
- or
- NHLBI Health Information Center
- P.O. Box 30105
- Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
- Phone:  301-592-8573
- TTY:  240-629-3255
- Fax:  301-592-8563
- E-mail:  _[NHLBIinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov](mailto:NHLBIinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov)_
- Web site: _[www.nhlbi.nih.gov](http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/)_

**Notes:**
In closing, let me leave you with this—
If you think you might be at risk for COPD, get a simple breathing test.  If you have COPD, talk with your doctor.  Together, you can take steps to make breathing easier and live a longer and more active life. 
If you would like more information, please visit the NHLBI COPD Awareness and Education Campaign Web site or contact the NHLBI Health Information Center directly. 
Thank you very much for your time and attention.  If anyone has any questions, I’ll be happy to take them at this time.