One of related disease if smoking is COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases).

What is COPD?
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases) is a disease characterized by airway inflammation and airflow limitation that is not fully reversible and progressive.
Symptom of COPD can be dyspneu, cough with sputum depends of the kind.
Range of age COPD patient usually more than 40 years old.

Kinds of COPD
There are two kinds of COPD :
1. Chronic bronchitis :
when chronic expiratory airflow obstruction is associated with a chronic caugh of three months in each of two successive years. The chronic cough must produce sputum.
2. Emphysema :
When chronic expiratory airflow obstruction is associated with damage to the air sacs in the lung.

How to Know exacerbation of COPD?
EXACERBATION OF CHRONIC BRONCHITIS — are characterized by an acute increase in usual symptoms of COPD including cough, sputum production and/or dyspnea.
The clinical features of exacerbations of chronic bronchitis are:
Increased volume or change in the character of sputum Increased frequency and severity of cough Increased dyspnea Variable constitutional symptoms.

EXACERBATION OF EMPHYSEMA – same of chronic bronchitis but cough and sputum production is not dominant.

How to Avoid COPD?
1. Avoid risk factors of COPD since young age - active and passive smoking
Smoking is one of risk factor of COPD, although not all of smokers are not suffering from COPD. Degree of COPD risk is influenced by age of onset of smoking, degree inhalation, tar and nicotine content of cigar, use of unfilterred cigar, amount of cigar/day However, not all of smokers are not suffering from COPD, and risk of COPD can be from other risk factors and genetic kinds - its better for us for avoiding smoking. - Occupational exposure to environmental dust A series of reports derived from multiple cohorts of workers have found a statistically significant association between loss of lung function and cumulative respirable dust exposure. Gold miners and coal miners appeared to be at particular risk. - Deficiencies of antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C and E Oxidizing radicals derive from exogenous sources, such as cigarette smoke, or may be released by phagocytes within the lung. Deficiencies of antioxidant vitamins may impair host defenses against oxidative radicals and permit tissue destruction which leads to COPD.

2. Avoid precipitants This only useful for patients who have diagnosed with COPD and avoid exarcebation.
PRECIPITANTS — Acute exacerbations of COPD are most commonly precipitated by infection (bacterial or viral) or environmental factors such as air pollution or temperature. It is estimated that 50 to 60 percent of exacerbations are due to respiratory infections (including bacteria and viruses), ten percent are due to environmental pollution, and 30 percent are of unknown etiology.

Article Reference :
1. Weiss M.T, 2007, Risk Factors of COPD 2. Snider G.L, 2007,
2. Diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease