• Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease - Causes
• Highlights
• Introduction
• Symptoms
• Diseases with Similar Symptoms
• Complications
• Risk Factors

Causes

Cigarette smoke accounts for more than 80% of chronic obstructive lung disease cases in the U.S. It contains irritants that inflame the air passages, setting off a chain of events that damage cells in the lung, increasing the risk for both COPD and lung cancer.

Different effects of smoking can lead to emphysema or chronic bronchitis, but smokers generally have signs of both conditions.

Smoking is the major cause of emphysema. In some rare inherited disorders, emphysema can develop in...