COPD Archives - Healthhype

Emphysema (Smoker’s Lung) Early to Late, Types, Duration Smoking

Dr. Chris — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:43:37 +0000

What is Emphysema Emphysema is the abnormal enlargement of the airspaces in the lungs with destruction of the walls of the air sacs. It is accompanied by a loss of elasticity of the airways which then collapse during expiration. Pulmonary emphysema literally means excess air in the lungs since the air that is inspired (inhaled) cannot exit as easily and is therefore ‘trapped’ with the lung. It is an irreversible lung disease and almost always seen with prolonged cigarette smoking. COPD Emphysema Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) like chronic bronchitis. With emphysema the damage is at the level of the alveoli (air savs) of the lung whereas with chronic bronchitis, it is the bronchi (airways) that are involved. Nevertheless both conditions have many overlapping features and are related to small airway disease (chronic bronchiolitis). How does emphysema occur? The pathogenesis of emphysema is fairly complicated and there is more than one hypothesis to explain the process. It is characterized by chronic inflammation associated with ongoing oxidative stress and protease production. Structural changes like hypertrophy of the bronchial smooth muscle and goblet cell metaplasia also play a part in the disease process. Cigarette smoking or other forms of [...]

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5 Signs of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and Tests

Dr. Chris — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 23:38:20 +0000

Some studies have revealed that COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) may affect as many as 1 out of 10 Americans. The exact incidence is unknown since this is a condition that often goes undiagnosed and is undertreated. Nevertheless it is a serious and debilitating disease which primarily affects smokers. In fact as many as 1 out of 5 people aged 30 or older who have been smoking for 10 years or more may have COPD. However, a significant proportion of younger COPD sufferers do not realize that they have this condition. How To Spot COPD? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a result of long term damage to the airways and lungs inflicted by tobacco smoking. There are two types of COPD – chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In chronic bronchitis the lower airways known as the bronchi (singular ~ bronchus) is persistently inflamed. With emphysema, the walls between the air sacs in the lungs become damaged with a thinning and loss of elasticity of the lung wall. Eventually these conditions can lead to repeated lung infections (pneumonia), lung collapse and heart problems which may be fatal. COPD can be difficult to spot in the early stages. Most people may appear [...]

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6 Signs of Bronchitis (Acute and Chronic)

Dr. Chris — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 11:57:46 +0000

Bronchitis is a common condition and one of the main reasons why patients with respiratory symptoms seek medical attention. Most of the time acute bronchitis occurs in fall or winter and usually arises with the cold or flu. It may persist for a few days to weeks. Chronic bronchitis on the other hand is permanent and irreversible. It is mainly caused by long term tobacco smoking and affects as many as 4 in 100 Americans. Where is the problem in bronchitis? The bronchi are two tubes that branch out from the trachea (windpipe). Each tube leads to one lung. The bronchi originate behind the breastbone and extends to both sides of the chest. Bronchitis simply means that these tubes are inflamed. As a result the bronchial walls swell and the mucus-producing cells in the bronchi produce excessive mucus. Inflammation also causes discomfort or pain and irritates pulmonary receptors in the bronchial wall that leads to coughing. Acute bronchitis is mainly due to an infection. Viruses are a more common infective cause but bacteria can also be responsible for acute bronchitis. The infection may not be limited to the bronchi and also involve other parts of the respiratory tract like the [...]

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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Causes, Types

Dr. Chris — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:55:27 +0000

What is COPD? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is a progressive, often irreversible condition of the distal airways (bronchi and bronchioles) and lung tissue. The two main conditions that make up COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema and since most patients have both conditions concurrently, COPD is a more concise description.As the name suggests, the condition is chronic (long term) and while most cases are irreversible, there may be a reversible component in a minority of COPD patients. There are other obstructive pulmonary diseases, like asthma, but since the bronchospasm in this condition is reversible, it does not fall under COPD. Despite this differentiation, the clinical presentation of asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema may overlap to a large degree. COPD is the main type of lung disease seen in cigarette smokers, whereas asthma may affect any person of any age with underlying hypersensitivity. COPD is characterized by breathlessness that is more pronounced in the early stages of emphysema but just as significant in the late stages of chronic bronchitis. Poor oxygenation of the lung with a concurrent accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood stream is present in both conditions, although the emphysema patient may be well oxygenated in [...]

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