The American Lung Association of California offers a variety of programs that empower people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, to live more productive, fulfilling lives.
Our Respiratory Rallies for people with COPD and their caregivers are daylong conferences that feature medical speakers, motivational presenters, and sessions on a variety of related topics. Our Better Breathers support groups meet regularly and also give people the tools they need to better manage their disease. Both the rallies and the support groups are designed to encourage social interaction between people who share a common problem, which helps decrease feelings of depression and isolation often associated with lung disease.
COPD affects more than 1.6 million Californians. The term COPD refers to two lung diseases – chronic bronchitis and emphysema — that block airflow and interfere with normal breathing.
These lung diseases are mostly caused by smoking, with about 80 to 90 percent of COPD deaths attributed to tobacco use. Other risk factors include air pollution, secondhand smoke, a history of childhood respiratory infections, heredity, and occupational hazards like chemicals, dust and fumes in the workplace.
Symptoms include chronic cough, increased mucus, frequent clearing of the throat, and shortness of breath. Because COPD comes on slowly, people often ignore the symptoms and don’t seek medical treatment until the lungs have become severely damaged.
The American Lung Association of California also works to prevent COPD by keeping kids away from tobacco, helping smokers quit, and reducing air pollution.
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