Merck Manuals Shares What Patients Need to Know About COPD

RAHWAY, N.J., Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death in many smokers and former smokers.

While living with the condition, there are steps that patients can take to stay on top of the disease, says Robert A. Wise, MD, Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center. Wise outlines what you should know about COPD in a new editorial from MerckManuals.com.

COPD encompasses other respiratory conditions

It takes people with COPD longer to exhale all the air from their lungs, often because of narrowing and damage in the airways. COPD is an umbrella term that includes chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema, says Wise. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema can occur together in the same person. The most important determinant of how the person feels and functions is the severity of the airflow obstruction.

COPD is different from asthma

Asthma is another very common respiratory disease that can cause similar symptoms to COPD. In addition to having a cough that produces sputum, people with both asthma and chronic bronchitis can have wheezing, shortness of breath, and partially reversible airflow obstruction.

One key difference between COPD and asthma is that airflow obstruction in asthma is completely reversible in most people, either spontaneously or with treatment, says Wise. With COPD, although airflow obstruction due to emphysema is not typically reversible, bronchial smooth muscle spasm, inflammation, and increased secretions are all potentially reversible.

Early treatment can help

One of the biggest myths surrounding COPD is that there's nothing that can be done about it, says Wise. The reality is, there are effective treatments that can improve exercise capacity, reduce symptoms, improve overall lung function, and extend survival. COPD often takes years to progress, and the earlier individuals can take proactive steps to address it, the better, says Wise.

It's never too late to quit smoking

The biggest thing individuals can do to improve their health when it comes to COPD is to quit smoking, says Wise. Stopping smoking when the airflow obstruction is mild or moderate often lessens cough, reduces the amount of sputum, and slows the development of shortness of breath. Stopping smoking at any point in the disease process may provide some benefit. 

To read more of Wise's insights on COPD, visit the editorial on MerckManuals.com.

About The Merck Manuals and MSD Manuals

First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Merck Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As The Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers. In 2015, The Manuals kicked off Global Medical Knowledge 2020, a global initiative with the goal to make the best current medical information accessible by up to three billion professionals and patients around the world by 2020. The Manuals achieved that goal, and today its medical information is available in nearly 250 countries and in 15 languages. It's continuing its ambitious mission through outreach, education and creating new reliable medical resources. For access to thousands of medical topics with images, videos and a constantly expanding set of resources, visit MerckManuals.com or MSDManuals.com and connect with us on social media: For Consumers in the U.S. and its territories: X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. For Professionals in the U.S. and its territories: X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE The Merck Manuals