COPD.

Essential facts Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) covers a number of lung conditions, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. People with COPD have lung damage that is not fully reversible. These conditions kill about 30,000 people a year in the UK. There are believed to be three million people living with COPD in the UK; however, more than two million people remain undiagnosed, with many dismissing their symptoms as a smoker's cough.