Home > Lung Disease > COPD Get the Flash Player to see this player. Rate: (Click the stars to rate) Published on Aug 10, 2008 by JKiley, Views: 6818 Dr James Kiley, PhD, Director of Lung Diseases at the National Heart and Lung Institute, discusses COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The most common symptom of COPD is shortness of breath, or breathlessness, coughing, excess mucous production, fatigue, and wheezing and it is very commonly caused by longterm smoking. Prolonged exposure to toxic exposure can also cause COPD. My father has sleep apnea as well as COPD, are the treatments the same for both diseases? I know that COPD is because of smoking, is sleep apnea also from smoking? health2u 13.1 years ago