Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Texas Pulmonary Institute, with locations in Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. COPD is a preventable and treatable lung disease. People with COPD must work harder to breathe, which can lead to shortness of breath and/or feeling tired. Early in the disease, people with COPD may feel short of breath when they exercise. As the disease progresses, it can be hard to breathe out (exhale) or even breathe in (inhale). A person with COPD may have chronic bronchitis (bron-ki-tis), emphysema, or a combination of both conditions. Texas Pulmonary Institute is specialized in a wide variety of breathing disorders. Make an appointment today at Texas Pulmonary Institute by calling 409-401-5864.

Symptoms of COPD

  • Feeling short of breath while resting or when doing physical activity
  • Cough
  • Wheezing
  • Fatigue
  • Mucus production that does not go away.

High Risk of COPD

  • Tobacco smoke
  • Environmental exposures and genetic (inherited) risk.
  • Heavy exposure to certain dusts at work
  • Chemicals, and indoor or outdoor air pollution (including wood smoke or biomass fuels)

Possible Treatment

  • Treating nicotine addiction and to help you stop smoking.
  • Medications to help relieve symptoms of COPD and to prevent symptom flares (called exacerbations) that can lead to further loss of lung function.
  • Some medications include those that aim to widen the airways (bronchodilators), reduce swelling in the airways (antiinflammatory drugs, such as steroids), and/or treat infections (antibiotics)

More COPD Information

How do I know if I have COPD?

How is COPD Treated?

What causes COPD?

Thoracic.org has many resources with accurate and in depth information on all pulmonary conditions