The blog has begun again. Today I would like to talk about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is the most common chronic respiratory disease among seniors. It’s a disease that causes the airways in the lungs to become blocked, making breathing difficult. COPD includes symptoms of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema is diagnosed by the destruction of the walls between the air sacs leading to a few enlargened air sacs instead of many tiny ones. Chronic bronchitis causes inflammation and thickening of lung air sacs, which causes an increase in the number and size of mucus producing cells. This leads to excessive mucus production and difficulty breathing. If you have been diagnosed with COPD you can make some lifestyle changes that can help with your condition like quitting smoking, reducing exposure to lung irritants and eating several small nutrient rich meals instead of large meals that leave you feeling full.