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URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19376.htm
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Overview
(COPD) refers to chronic lung diseases that result in blocked air flow in the lungs. The two main COPD diseases are emphysema and chronic bronchitis, the most common causes of respiratory failure. Emphysema occurs when the walls between the lung's air sacs become weakened and collapse. Damage from COPD is usually permanent and irreversible.
Review Date 2/27/2026
Updated by: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
