The Role Of Infections - What Causes Copd: Respiratory Health
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
The role of infections
Bacteria and viruses don't cause COPD, but they may make the symptoms worse. A standard pattern is for a patient to have episodes of increased symptoms such as shortness of breath and coughing. These flare-ups, or acute exacerbations, may be caused by certain respiratory infections.
People with COPD are more likely to get respiratory infections. Doctors suspect that the following bacteria play a role because they are especially common in the airways of people with chronic bronchitis: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. Viruses that cause the common cold and flu can also cause flare-ups of COPD. As a preventive measure, doctors advise people with lung disease to have flu shots and a vaccination for Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called pneumococcus), one of the main causes of pneumonia (see "Treating your condition").
| Last updated: | May 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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