The primary risk factor for COPD is smoking.
Smoking increases the likelihood of infection, cough, and sputum production.
The nicotine and tar are also irritants to the air tubes. This causes excess mucus production and thickening of the walls of the airways. Other risk factors include age, heredity, exposure to air pollution at work and in the environment, and a history of childhood respiratory infections. Click on the picture below to find out. For support offered by the American Lung Association to help you quit smoking click on the link below.