A cough escapes you, then more and one more, until suddenly you're wheezing and begging for any air to enter your lungs. Your chest tightens and your lungs quiver and shake within you until the fit peters out. It may be hard to imagine for you but this is the reality for more than 400 million people worldwide today, and it’s all because of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)1.
COPD is a disease that hinders the breathing of a patient due to damage on either the airways or different parts of the lung3. It affects more than 400 million people worldwide and the number is only expected to grow to 600 million cases by 20501,2. So what does COPD actually look like? The most common symptoms of COPD are difficulty in breathing, chronic cough & constant tiredness and the worst part is that the disease is not curable. With the disease being the 3rd leading cause of death in 2023, it can be assumed that the fatality of COPD is one that is alarming3. A study shows the mortality rate of individuals diagnosed with COPD was 25.4% over 5 years; and yet the awareness of the disorder remains to be low, only a fraction of the population is informed about the disease4. Another study showed that even smokers themselves, some of whom experience the symptoms above, only 20% of them were familiar with the illness5.
From it all COPD is a scary disease, but how does it actually happen in people? To understand how COPD takes root, we must look at what enters the lungs over a person's lifetime. The primary driver is long-term exposure to airborne irritants that physically destroy delicate lung tissue. Cigarette smoking is the main culprit, accounting for nearly 80% of COPD deaths by breaking down the microscopic air sacs (alveoli) that exchange oxygen3. However, non-smokers are not completely safe either. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights secondhand smoke, industrial dust, and indoor biomass smoke from poorly ventilated stoves as major global triggers3. And in rare cases, a genetic condition called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency leaves individuals vulnerable even without a history of smoking3,
Because lung damage from COPD cannot be undone, prevention is our strongest and only defense1. The single most effective preventative measure is quitting smoking or never starting in the first place as smoking cessation stops the accelerated decline of lung function1,3. In addition, using protective respirators around occupational chemicals and avoiding polluted environments reduces strain on fragile tissues. Naturally the last thing to ensure health is to exercise, and practice good habits, along with staying up to date with the latest respiratory disease vaccines3.
If you’re curious about how your lungs are, go get screened today!
References:
1de Oca, M. M., Perez-Padilla, R., Celli, B., Aaron, S. D, Wehrmeister, F. C., Amaral, A. F. S., Mannino, D., Zheng, J., Salvi, S., Obaseki, D., Buist, A. S., & Menezes, A. (2025). The global burden of COPD: epidemiology and effect of prevention strategies. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 13(8), 709–724. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-2600(24)00339-4
2Boers E, Barrett M, Su JG, Benjafield AV, Sinha S, Kaye L, Zar HJ, Vuong V, Tellez D, Gondalia R, Rice MB, Nunez CM, Wedzicha JA, Malhotra A. Global Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Through 2050. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Dec 1;6(12):e2346598. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46598. PMID: 38060225; PMCID: PMC10704283.
3World Health Organization: WHO. (2026, June 10). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Who.Int; World Health Organization: WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-(copd)
4Park, S. C., Kim, D. W., Park, E. C., Shin, C. S., Rhee, C. K., Kang, Y. A., & Kim, Y. S. (2019, November). Mortality of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a nationwide populationbased cohort study. The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine; PubMed Central. https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2017.428
5Al-Otaibi, H., Homoud, M., Alqarni, M., Alsobhi, G., Al-Otaibi, G., & Alnahdi, N. (2026). Level of Awareness About Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Active Smokers. International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Volume 21, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.2147/copd.s580239