ABSTRACT

This paper provides an insight into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its impact on a patient's lungs and breathing. While exploring the causes and risk factors that are related to the development of COPD, dangerous work settings and environmental hazards will be discussed. Additionally, this paper will focus on the impactful and unhealthy habit of smoking. Comorbidities will be examined, such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. The signs and symptoms of COPD will be explained at length, which include chronic cough, respiratory infections, and shortness of breath. The diagnostic process of spirometry testing will be explained through the forced expiratory ratio (FER). Furthermore, the long lasting effects of exacerbations, which are when symptoms significantly worsen in patients with COPD, will be addressed. Lastly, the impact of Covid-19 on patients with the comorbidities of COPD will be reviewed through the examination of completed studies. These studies reveal the severity of Covid-19 symptoms found in patients with COPD throughout the pandemic thus far, which include dyspnea and persistent cough.