COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow
limitation and associated with a combination of
small airways disease, airway inflammation, and parenchymal destruction in the lung [18]. The most common symptom of COPD is shortness of breath, and patients often also experience exercise limitation, chronic cough, and sputum production. Airflow obstruction in COPD is not fully reversible necessitating a focus on treating symptoms to reduce disability and improve patients’ quality of life. COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world [18, 19]. COPD typically has a gradually progressive course punctuated by unpredictable exacerbations. The primary behavioral risk factor for COPD is smoking [18], and the primary known genetic risk factor is AATD, an autosomal co dominant disorder that predisposes individuals to lung and liver disease [20]. Patients with AATD-associated COPD are clinically similar to patients with non-AATD COPD except that they typically develop COPD at a younger age and a subset has the option to use augmentation therapy, which increases levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin circulating in the blood and lungs [21]. The experience of individuals with AATD-associated COPD provides a rich context in which to examine the impact of the social environment on uncertainty in chronic illness.
Patients with COPD are often assumed to have restricted
social contact and support due to limitations caused
by COPD that result from shortness of breath and
exercise limitations.