COPD
COPD Basics
April 23, 2011 | 
Author COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease means. It is a lung disease, the most common. According to the Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood, over 12 million people diagnosed with COPD and 12 million have to know the disease and not even probable. Another alarming statistic is that COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. It costs the lives of more than 120,000 Americans each year *.
There are two main types of COPD. Chronic bronchitis is. The other is emphysema.
chronic bronchitis, the airways that carry air to the lungs become inflamed and produces more mucus. This can restrict the airways, making breathing difficult. Emphysema occurs when air sacs in the lungs are damaged. Subsequently, the body can not get enough oxygen. People with emphysema experience shortness of breath in general, wheezing, chronic cough and fatigue.
The main cause of COPD is smoking. But some people develop emphysema because of a genetic disease called Alpha-1 antitrypsin, or AAT. This condition leads to a deficiency of the protein AAT. The AAT protein is what protects lung tissue. If it’s not enough of it, the lung tissue will continue to destroy what emphysema.
Other risk factors for COPD are:
Exposure to certain gases or vapeursL’exposition heavy amounts of secondhand smoke and pollutionL’utilisation common cooking gas without proper ventilation
Health professionals can for COPD patients with a lung function test called spirometry. This test measures to move the patients and quantity of air from their lungs. In addition, measures the speed with which they can do. COPD can be diagnosed by a blood test. The blood test can determine concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
You can reduce the risk of developing COPD with a few small things. If you smoke, stop. Smoking is the most common cause of this disease. It also provides the largest number of 9 out of 10 deaths associated with COPD *.
Another thing you can do is to avoid dust, tobacco smoke and strong fumes. These things can irritate the lungs.
Also, get regular checkups and tell your doctor immediately if you experience shortness of breath begin in the implementation of regular activities. This does not necessarily mean that you have COPD, but it’s good, tell your doctor before to check your condition worse.
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Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
you have COPD?
Do you have frequent or persistent cough? Cough phlegm? Are you short of breath more than other people your age? Do you smoke? You are 40 years or more? If you answered yes to at least 3 of these questions it is time to have your lungs checked by a professional because you can chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) developed.
How common is COPD?
> 3 million died worldwide from COPD 2005in 2008 COPD will seek death and the seventh leading cause of hospitalization in Singapore
What happens in a lung COPD?
COPD is a term used to describe two lung diseases emphysema and bronchitis process chroniqueL’emphysème: Like a balloon, air sacs in the lungs of COPD are overloaded and damaged over time. The air is trapped and it is difficult to get air in and out of the poumons.La chronic bronchitis: the airways are swollen with mucus and
What causes COPD?
A long-term exposure to irritants, which destroys the lung lungs.
root cause: smoking chroniqueAutres: breathing secondhand smoke cooking, smoke, solid fuels, air pollution and cigarette
What are the symptoms?
Chronic cough and production of mucositésEssoufflement effortOppression thoraciqueSifflements the first time, a person with COPD can to ignore the symptoms because they can
the intensity of their daily activities. As the disease progresses, activities like walking, housework and food severely limited by breathlessness.
How is COPD diagnosed?
The loss of lung function in COPD patients is so advanced that many patients do not realize they have the condition until it’s hard. By the time most patients seek medical care, they may have lost 50% of their lung function.
There is a need for greater awareness of COPD and early diagnosis and treatment can delay disease progression and improve quality of life.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Association (Singapore) (www.copdas.com) and other international organizations such as the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (www.goldcopd.com) encourage smokers and former smokers, especially those with persistent cough and / or shortness of breath undergo a simple lung function test known as spirometry, which is a reference for the diagnosis of COPD.
What is spirometry?
Spirometry can be performed easily cliniqueOn asking the patient to quickly instrument (spirometry), after a deep breath respirationMesures the ratio of expiratory volume in first second of forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) test the sensitive and specific evidence of obstruction of air flow in poumonsLa spirometry has been useful in the differentiation of lung diseases such as asthma, COPD other
How COPD treated?
inhalers Bronchodilatateurinhalateurs stéroïdeCessez of fumerVaccination – influenza and pulmonary rehabilitation pneumococciesOxygénothérapieLa / regular exercise
Nobel Chest & Internal Medicine Center
Posted in COPD | Tags: air sacs, cause, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cough cough, cough phlegm, diagnosis, disease, obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary, smoke | No Comments »