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You can take steps to prevent COPD before it starts. If you already have COPD, you can take steps to prevent complications and slow the progression of the disease.

COPD has no cure yet. However, lifestyle changes and treatments can help you feel better, stay more active, and slow the progress of the disease.

Your doctor may diagnose COPD based on your signs and symptoms, your medical and family histories, and the results from diagnostic tests such as pulmonary function tests including spirometry and arterial blood gas tests, or chest x rays or chest computed tomography scans.

At first, COPD may cause no symptoms or only mild symptoms. As the disease worsens, common signs and symptoms include an ongoing cough (with or without mucus), shortness of breath, wheezing or whistling when breathing, and chest tightness.

The main risk factor for COPD is smoking. Other risk factors for COPD include long-term exposure to other lung irritants, or other medical conditions such as alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency.

Long-term exposure to lung irritants—smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes, or dusts—that damage the lungs and the airways usually is the cause of COPD. A rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency can also cause the disease.

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. In the United States, the term COPD includes two main conditions—emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Immunotherapy is treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer. Get information about the different types of immunotherapy and what you can expect during treatment.

Si le han diagnosticado sobrepeso y obesidad, es importante que no interrumpa el tratamiento, trate de alcanzar un peso saludable, continúe su programa de modificación de conducta para adelgazar y acuda a controles con su médico para que evalúen su condición and su riesgo de desarrollar complicaciones.

El tratamiento para el sobrepeso y la obesidad depende de la causa y la gravedad de la afección. Tratamientos posibles para alcanzar un peso saludable incluyen cambios saludables en el estilo de vida, programas de tratamiento de modificación de conducta para adelgazar, medicamentos y posiblemente cirugía.