Unfortunately, there are no known cures for chronic bronchitis or emphysema, the two major types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. However, various symptom treatment options are available that can ease discomfort and improve daily life.

The best way to explain how our lungs work is to think of them as an upside down tree. A long trunk, called the trachea, leads to thick branches. Off those branches, called bronchi, shoot smaller limbs, known as bronchioles. At the ends are the leaves called alveoli.