Emphysema —Emphysema is a disorder that affects the alveoli or the air sacs of the lungs. The Alveoli is responsible for the gas exchange in the human body - it takes in the inhaled oxygen, pushes it into the bloodstream in exchange of carbon-dioxide. In Emphysema, this gas exchange function is affected as the alveoli are damaged. This results in the patient suffering from breathlessness even while not exerting themselves. The air inhaled is not pushed out, as the Alveoli have lost a majority of their function. The lungs stretch themselves as a result and the patient will feel it difficult to breathe out.

Bronchitis:When the bronchial tube (the air tube) leading to the lungs get inflamed, the patient experiences persistent cough which is an effort of the body to expel the excess mucous or any irritants that cause the inflammation. Such persistent and long spell of cough is called as Chronic Bronchitis which is a type of COPD. In Bronchitis, the cilia (hair like structure within the tract) in the airways are damaged and as a condition, fills the respiratory tract with mucus. Since the cilia cannot move, the excess mucus poses difficulty for a person to breathe.

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COPD is caused by long term exposure to air pollution, cigarette smoking, exposure to irritants like gas etc. in the air. It cannot be cured directly but can be managed by treating symptoms and making lifestyle changes.

200 million people globally suffer from COPD, and 50 million in India suffer from COPD. Primarily, smoking and air pollution is the main reason in India for its large number of COPD patients and this number is increasing.