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COPD- Symptoms, Causes, Who Is at Risk, and Treatment

November 27, 2012 by

This time Dr. Gracer’s program features an interview with Dr. Richard Casaburi, discussing causes of, who is at risk for, and symptoms and treatments of COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Currently 24 million people in the United States suffer from it, and half of them are unaware they even have it. It is the third most common cause of death.

The most common symptoms of COPD are shortness of breath (or dyspnea), persistent cough that brings up mucus, wheezing, and chest tightness.

In patients with COPD, the airways in the lungs typically lose their ability to expand and contract, produce excess mucus, and become thick and inflamed. This limits the passage of air, making it difficult to breathe. These symptoms get worse with exertion and cold weather.

While there is no cure for COPD, there are very effective treatment options available and stopping smoking can make the difference between life and death.

More about Dr. Richard Casaburi:  Richard Casaburi, Ph.D., M.D., is currently Associate Chief for Research in the Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Physiology and Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California. He is also Medical Director of the Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, a laboratory dedicated to COPD research, at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is a sought-after lecturer and has authored more than 125 publications.

Dr. Casaburi pursued a research career in biomedical engineering, receiving a Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, before qualifying in medicine from the University of Miami School of Medicine.

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About Richard Gracer

Richard I. Gracer, MD, is the founder of Gracer Behavioral Health Services, an innovative and comprehensive substance abuse program that stresses the reduction of cravings, and has been in medical practice since 1974. He is certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Practice, and a Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management. He edited Beating the Years, Beating Sports Injuries, and Beating Back Pain (Barron’s, 2003,2005, 2006), and wrote the popular “Ask the Doctor” column in the Lamorinda Sun for 10 years. He is the author of A New Prescription for Addiction.

Dr. Gracer is also the Host of A New Prescription for Health on WomensRadio. A New Prescription for Healthfeatures discussions with noted experts, both researchers and practitioners, on cutting edge, holistic, and comprehensive treatments for pain and addiction. Aimed at the educated person seeking more information, this series provides hard-to-get information and insights, including interviews with actual patients, on treatment of these difficult and pervasive problems.

Email Dr. Richard Gracer by clicking HERE.