COPD is an umbrella term for chronic respiratory diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma. COPD patients have a higher mortality rate than those with only emphysema. Both are caused by tobacco smoke and can be diagnosed through lung function tests and scans.
The difference between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema is that COPD is an umbrella term for a set of chronic respiratory diseases, which includes emphysema, along with other conditions, such as chronic bronchitis and asthma . In this regard, the difference between the two lies mainly in the definition and the mortality rate. Patients with COPD deal with a myriad of diseases and, therefore, have a higher mortality rate than those who suffer solely from emphysema. To be diagnosed with COPD or emphysema, a patient’s lungs must be permanently damaged, preventing adequate oxygen from circulating throughout the body.
The most important symptom of COPD and emphysema is the inability of the lungs to breathe out properly. If the disability is caused solely by damage to the alveolar sacs within the lungs, the patient is often diagnosed with emphysema. However, if this symptom is aggravated by bronchitis, which is an irritation of the bronchioles, or by asthma, a diagnosis of COPD is usually made. Both COPD and emphysema are most often caused by direct inhalation of tobacco smoke, although some bullous lung diseases, cystic fibrosis, and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiencies have also been implicated in both conditions. Individuals who have chronic asthma, especially from childhood, are often at higher risk of developing emphysema and later COPD if they smoke tobacco.
The first sign of both COPD and emphysema is extreme shortness of breath after exertion. This symptom becomes worse and more pronounced as the disease progresses until the patient becomes short of breath even at rest. Chronic bronchitis, another prerequisite for a diagnosis of COPD, is diagnosed when there is a chronic cough, excessive mucus production, and sometimes cyanosis, a bluish tint to the skin. Gradual loss of lung function, as characterized by these general symptoms, is the diagnostic criterion by which a diagnosis of COPD is made. If a close family member has the disease, a diagnosis can be made sooner because research indicates a likely genetic link to the aforementioned respiratory diseases as well.
COPD and emphysema can be quantified with laboratory tests. The most common test is a lung function test, called spirometry. The test is done by blowing into a machine that can determine specific lung capacity. This noninvasive test is usually the first course of action when a respiratory pathogenesis is suspected. To make a definitive diagnosis, your doctor may take x-rays or other scans of your lungs to look for damaged tissue.
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