understanding how your lungs work...out of the lungs. this air moves from the alveoli, up through...

UNDERSTANDINGHOW YOURLUNGS WORKAND HOW COPD* AFFECTSYOUR BODY

*Includes chronic bronchitis,emphysema, or both

C Printed on recycled paper in the U.S.A.Copyright © 2007, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

All rights reserved. (06/07) DM44218

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has no ownership interestin any other organization that advertises or markets its disease

management products and services.

A patient educational resource provided byBoehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

BI00000

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INTRODUCTION TO COPDCOPD* is a chronic lung disease. It includesboth chronic bronchitis (bronk-eye-tis) and/oremphysema (em-fuh-zee-muh).

Your healthcare practitioner may have saidthat you are at risk for COPD. Or you mayhave been told that you have COPD. You mayhave had it for awhile. But do you know justwhat your lungs do? And how COPD canaffect them and your health?

In this booklet, we will show you how yourlungs work. We will explain the importantfunctions they have in your body. We willalso show what happens to your lungs whenyou have COPD. We will show you howCOPD can affect the rest of your body andyour life. And we will give you tips on howyou may reduce your symptoms and helpprevent COPD-related problems.

COPD cannot be cured, but the good newsis it can be treated.

*Chronic (kron-ick) obstructive (ob-struck-tiv)pulmonary (pull-muh-nair-ee) disease.

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ABOUT THIS BOOKLET…This booklet will help you learn about COPD.It may help you manage it well. The topicscovered include

What Do Your Lungs Do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

How Do Your Lungs Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

What Happens When You Have COPD? . . . .10

How Does COPD Affect You? . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Other Conditions You May HaveAlong With COPD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

How Are COPD and Asthma Different? . . . . .17

What to Ask Your Healthcare Practitioner . . . .18

Where Can You FindMore Information and Support? . . . . . . . . . . .19

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WHAT DO YOUR LUNGS DO?The lungs have very important functions inyour body. They help to keep you alive andwell. In fact, lungs do more than most of yourorgans. Basically, they help

• Bring healthy air (oxygen [ox-ih-gen]) toyour other organs, muscles, and tissues

• Take unhealthy waste air (carbon dioxide[car-bun die-ox-ide]) out of your body

This is what happens when you breathe inand out.

The lungs are made up of many different kindsof cells. These cells do many things. Some oftheir jobs are to

• Trap dust and other waste materials youmay breathe in

• Keep the insides of your airways clean

• Help fight off infection

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HOW DO YOUR LUNGS WORK?The lungs are the largest part of therespiratory (ress-per-uh-tor-ee) system. Thissystem takes care of breathing. Besides thelungs, it includes your

• Nose

• Mouth

• Throat

• Windpipe (large airway)

• Airways (that get narrower andnarrower and end in small air sacs)

When it’s working well, it brings in theoxygen your body needs. And it takes outthe carbon dioxide waste that your bodycan’t use.


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Healthy LungsThis is how a healthy lung works:

When you inhale (breathe in air):

The diaphragm (die-a-fram), the largemuscle at the bottom of your lungs,moves down, pulling air into the airwaysand finally into the lungs.

The air moves from your nose or mouthinto your throat (pharynx [fah-rinks]).

From your throat, the air goes to yourwindpipe (trachea [tray-kee-uh]).

The windpipe breaks off into twobronchial tubes, one for each lung.

The bronchial tubes carry the air deepinto each lung.

The bronchial tubes subdivide intomany smaller tubes. These tubes endin air sacs called alveoli (al-vee-oh-lie),which are like clusters of grapes.

The alveoli stretch and expand likesmall balloons.

Oxygen (O2) from the air goes intoblood vessels that surround the alveoli.

This oxygen is then sent through yourbody by the blood.

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2

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4

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pharynx

diaphragm

trachea

bronchial tubes

alveoli

alveoli


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When you exhale (breathe out air):

Carbon dioxide (CO2) moves from theblood flowing through the blood vesselsinto the alveoli.

The diaphragm moves up to helpthe chest push the carbon dioxideout of the lungs.

This air moves from the alveoli, upthrough the bronchial tubes andwindpipe, and out of the nose.

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diaphragm

alveoli2

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WHAT HAPPENS WHENYOU HAVE COPD?When you have COPD, there are changesin your lungs. This affects your breathing.

COPD is not just one disease. It’s a group oflung diseases. It includes chronic bronchitisand/or emphysema. You may have one orboth of these.

If you have chronic bronchitis

• The walls inside your airways becomeswollen and thick

• Your airways become narrow

• Large amounts of mucus form

• This blocks your airways and mayincrease the risk of infection

• Productive cough is common

• Over time, your lungs get scarredand can’t function

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mucus

swollenairwaywall

narrow airway

healthy, open airway


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If you have emphysema

• The air sacs at the ends of your airwaysare damaged. They get stiffer

• Air gets trapped in the tiny air sacs.The air sacs get stretched too much andbreak down, which makes them beginto not function properly

• This leads to a few large air sacs,instead of many tiny ones

• Not all the air in the larger space getspushed out when you breathe out

• Your blood may not get enough oxygen.And you have to work harder to get ridof the carbon dioxide

All of these things cause problems when youbreathe. That’s because your lungs

• Have trouble pushing “used” air out

• May not have enough room left to takein healthy new air

stretchedair sacs

healthyair sacs


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Get the vaccines you needGet flu and pneumonia shots. They canhelp keep you from getting these infections.Ask your healthcare practitioner whichshots to get, when, and how often.

HOW DOES COPD AFFECT YOU?When you have COPD, you work harderto breathe. Symptoms can differ from personto person. You may have one or more ofthe following:

• Shortness of breath

• Frequent cough (commonly knownas “smoker’s cough”)

• Mucus coming from the lungs and throat

• Wheezing

• Fatigue (getting tired easily and often)

• Lung infections, such as acutebronchitis, more than once a year

Tips for Living Better With COPD

1. Stop smoking.

2. Take each medicine the way yourhealthcare practitioner says to takeit. See your healthcare practitionerregularly.

3. Go to the hospital or healthcarepractitioner right away if yourbreathing gets bad.

4. Keep the air clean at home. Stay awayfrom things like smoke that make it hardto breathe.

5. Keep your body strong. Walk, exerciseregularly, and eat healthy foods.

6. If your COPD is severe, get the mostout of your breath. Make life as easyas possible at home.


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People with COPD may get other illnessesas well.

Talk to your healthcare practitioner. Tell himor her about any symptoms or concerns youmay have.

OTHER CONDITIONS YOU MAYHAVE ALONG WITH COPD

• Heart disease, including congestiveheart failure

• Leads to fluid build-up in the lungsand the rest of the body; maycause swelling in ankles, legs,and belly

• Osteoporosis: A disease of bone lossand weakening

• COPD often increases the risk for otherdiseases, such as lung cancer

• People with COPD often don’t sleepwell. This is because COPD affectsbreathing and lessens the amount ofoxygen in the body

• COPD often makes people feeldepressed. This is because COPDcan affect your activity levels andincrease worry

• Usually when you areover age 40

• At any age; oftenwhen you are a child

When does it start?

How does smokingaffect it?

• Most people who getCOPD smoked morethan a pack a day for20 years

• Both smokers andnonsmokers canget asthma

What causes it? • Smoking or beingaround smoking

• Having a low weightand a virus at birth

• Having had severerespiratory infectionsas a child

• Being sensitive tosomething (like acertain food or pollenin the air) thatcauses an allergicreaction

• Having a familyhistory of asthma

What are some ofits symptoms?

• Trouble breathing (atfirst when you areactive and later whenyou are resting, too)

• Cough that bringsup mucus

• Chest tightness

• Cough

• Shortness of breath

• Wheezing

(You may have nosymptoms betweenattacks)

How does treatment forit affect your airways?

• May be able to partiallyopen your airways

• May be able to openyour airways to alarge degree

COPD Asthma

HOW ARE COPD ANDASTHMA DIFFERENT?Some people have COPD and asthma, too.Asthma also affects the airways, but it isa different disease. If you have both COPDand asthma, you may need differenttreatments for each one.


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WHAT TO ASK YOURHEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERHere are some things you may want todiscuss with your healthcare practitioner.Add any others you have. Bring thispage with you to your next visit. Writedown the answers you get in the linesbelow each question.

How does my COPD affect me?

What can I do to help keep it fromgetting worse?

What should I do if my symptoms get worse?

Do I have other conditions?

What can I do to help keep from gettingother illnesses?

Should I get a flu shot? Should I get apneumonia shot?

WHERE CAN YOU FIND MOREINFORMATION AND SUPPORT?There are a lot of ways to get information andsupport. Contact these helpful resources:

American Lung Association1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-548-8252)www.lungusa.org

Global Initiative for Chronic ObstructiveLung Disease (GOLD)www.goldcopd.com

National Lung Health Education Program (NLHEP)1-972-910-8555www.nlhep.org

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)1-301-592-8573www.nhlbi.nih.gov

The National Emphysema Foundation1-203-866-5000www.emphysemafoundation.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)1-800-311-3435www.cdc.gov

Pulmonary Education and Research Foundationwww.perf2ndwind.org


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