Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is a lung disease that affects the airways and the air sacs. When you inhale oxygen, air passes through the airway and reaches the air sacs where the process of oxygen and carbon dioxide conversion occurs. At the air sacs, oxygen enters into the blood stream and carbon dioxide is removed from the body. If you have COPD, the lining of the airways becomes inflamed and fills with mucus, which blocks the airway and creates extreme difficulty with breathing.

Research has shown that the biggest cause of COPD is cigarette smoking. Due to the nature of the disease, the most common sign of COPD is chronic coughing and shortness of breath. Smokers should keep an eye on their ability to breathe and whether they see a gradual decrease in the ability to inhale comfortably.

If you are experiencing these symptoms and you are a smoker, you need to contact a doctor for evaluation immediately. Your doctor will be able to determine what tests would be necessary to formulate a proper diagnosis. One common test the doctor may administer is a test that measures your breathing capacity. Another possibility would be a chest x-ray.

The first thing your doctor may ask you to do is to quit smoking, if you have not already. There are also medications that you can take in order to help you breathe more easily. If you are in the advanced stages of COPD, you may need to use oxygen tubes that are connected to your nose or through a mask. This apparatus would then have to travel with you wherever you go.

If you have been diagnosed with COPD and you are a smoker, you need to contact an attorney immediately. You have newfound legal options that will help you deal with your current medical condition. After the Florida Supreme Court determined that the tobacco industry was responsible for producing a product that cause several diseases and that nicotine is indeed addictive, your burden of proof is not as severe. Contact an attorney today so that he or she can explain all of these options to you in detail. Do not wait, however, as you only have a certain amount of time to file a claim. If you wait too long, the law will require that your claim be dismissed.