KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- You may make up the high smoking rate in tennessee and doctors say smoking is one cause of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD.

COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States- it's a lung disease that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Symptoms are coughing, sputum production, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness.

Given the high smoking rate in Tennessee, doctors at UT Medical center are holding a free lung function screening today to help spread awareness of the disease. Doctor Shamiyeh is a Pulmonologist at UT Medical Center. He says, "There are a lot of different strategies to stop smoking, there are medications, nicotine replacement, it's just so important that becomes a discussion between them and their doctor and it becomes more important if they have copd. There are multiple health effects from cigarette smoking, COPD being just one of them."

Doctor Shamiyeh says in addition to smoking, other risk factors include exposures to chemical fumes, vapors and dust, history of childhood respiratory infections, and heredity.

For more information on COPD contact the UT Medical Center at 865-305-6970.