Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, causes breathing to be difficult at times. It is even much worse when you have sleep apnea at the same time.
COPD and sleep apnea have been traced to each other. Some people think having COPD increases your risk of getting sleep apnea. But recent studies have found the chances of getting sleep apnea are about the same whether you have COPD or not.
However, if you have both conditions, it is important to know how one affects the other, and how to tackle the condition to make your breathing and your life easier.
This article will discuss with you both conditions and the link they have with each other.
What is COPD?
COPD affects your breathing because it results in clogged narrow airways.
COPD is a category of diseases that includes emphysema (which damages air sacs in your lungs) and chronic bronchitis (ongoing inflammation in the tubes that bring air to your lungs).
One of the major causes of COPD is smoking or breathing in secondhand smoke or other air pollutants. There’s no particular cure, it tends to progress over time, gradually getting worse. But there are often ways to manage symptoms.