The most common cause of COPD is smoking.

There are a few other factors that may lead to the development of COPD; these include:

• Work-related dusts and fumes (e.g. coal dust, silica)
• Second-hand smoke
• Exposure to indoor air pollution
• Some childhood chest infections
• Infections that result in damage to the lung (e.g. tuberculosis)
• Genetics (alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency)