(ARA) – Do you sometimes wheeze or stop to catch your breath when walking up stairs? Perhaps you get tired while grocery shopping or when walking around the mall. Maybe you have a cough or a cold that just won’t go away.

These seemingly simple interruptions to your daily life could be a sign of a serious disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. COPD – which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis – is a serious lung disease that over time makes it hard to breathe. In COPD, people’s airways – the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs– are partially blocked.

People often ignore their symptoms, passing them off as normal signs of aging. In fact, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Twelve million Americans are currently diagnosed with COPD, while an additional 12 million Americans may have the disease and remain undiagnosed. COPD affects one in five people older than 45 and occurs most frequently in people age 40 and older with a history of smoking. Current and former smokers are at risk.

Smoking is the most common cause of COPD, accounting for as many as nine out of 10 COPD-related deaths – but smoking is not the only cause. As many as one out of six people with COPD have never smoked. Heavy or long-term exposure to secondhand smoke or other air pollutants also may contribute. Environmental exposure also can be a factor. People who have had long-term exposure to substances that can irritate the lungs, such as certain chemicals, dust, or fumes in the workplace, can develop COPD.

In some people, COPD is caused by a genetic condition known as alpha-1 antitrypsin, or AAT, deficiency.

“Recognizing the signs and symptoms of COPD and your own risk factors is an important first step. But it must not stop there. COPD can be treated,” says James P. Kiley, Ph.D., director of the Division of Lung Diseases at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. “It’s critical that people talk to a doctor if they are experiencing symptoms. The earlier a person receives proper treatment, the better their chances to improve quality of life.”

Schedule a visit with the doctor if you or a loved one is experiencing:

* Constant coughing

* Shortness of breath while doing everyday activities

* Excess sputum production

* Feeling like you can’t breathe

* Not being able to take a deep breath

* Wheezing

COPD is diagnosed with a simple breathing test called spirometry. It’s quick and painless – and worth it. With proper diagnosis and treatment, COPD patients can breathe better.

You can find out more by visiting COPD.nhlbi.nih.gov. This educational Website is part of a COPD awareness campaign from the NHLBI of the National Institutes of Health.