What condition is primarily characterized by airflow obstruction?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is primarily characterized by airflow obstruction, which is a hallmark of the condition. This obstruction is typically progressive and results from a combination of factors such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In COPD, the airways become narrowed or blocked due to inflammation, excessive mucus production, and the destruction of lung parenchyma, leading to a significant impairment in exhalation. Patients often experience symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath due to this decreased airflow.

Unlike pneumonia, which is primarily an infection causing inflammation and consolidation in the lungs, or respiratory distress syndrome, which typically occurs as a result of acute lung injury and presents more with abnormalities in gas exchange rather than chronic airflow obstruction, COPD specifically depicts a chronic and progressive airflow limitation.

Restrictive lung disease refers to a different category of pulmonary disorders characterized by reduced lung volumes and difficulty expanding the lungs, hence affecting the overall lung capacity, but it does not specifically relate to airflow obstruction in the same sense that COPD does.