Essay On Copd

Dyspnea, the most common symptom of COPD, comes on gradually and is first noticed during physical exertion or during acute exacerbations

As the number of smokers are rapidly increasing recently, the number of patients with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is also gradually increasing. It is one of the most common chronic diseases and is considered to be one of the five leading diseases following heart disease, pneumonia, HIV and AIDS worldwide (GOLD, 2004). Smoking is the main cause of COPD. However, long term exposure to chemical fumes and air pollution could also cause COPD. This essay is all about how COPD affects individual, family and society as a whole across their lifespan. Also, it discusses the role of a nurse in caring patients with COPD.

The topic is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It is an umbrella term used for respiratory disorders such as chronic asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is a serious condition that restricts airflow to the lungs and is not fully reversible. It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia. More than 1 in 20 Australians over 55 have COPD and is also the fifth leading cause of death. There is also a rate of 1,008 per 100,000 of the population aged 55 and over being hospitalized for the condition. The rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders compared with non-indigenous Australians are 2.5 times as high (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016). There is no cure however; the management can slow the disease progression and is therefore crucial to the quality of life of patients.

First step preventing COPD is to know how it affects the body and the path taken; this is called the pathology. In normal, healthy breathing a person breathes in air that is moves through the bronchial tubes to the bronchioles. At the end of the bronchioles there are air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli are elastic air sacs that control the gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide to the body (Smoking, 2016). The alveoli consist of elastic tissue so when a person breaths in the the alveoli can expand and when the carbon dioxide is released it can deflate and return to it’s normal size.

The biggest issue that contribute to the disease is smoking.It has been tested that women have had increase in smoking since the first world war. On the other had that number rapidly decreased in the last 7 decades. On the other hand 16 percent of canadians ranging from ages as young as 16 years old and older and these people would smoke everyday decreasing since the 60’s. But there was not a big significant change on the air flow being prevented to pass through the airways. Canadians ages ranging 60 to 79 were more likely to have measured COPD than those aged 35 to

Patients with COPD become short of breath, hyperventilate and become very tired by using all efforts on respiratory and axillary muscles in order to breath and effects their activity of daily living such as walking up the stairs, putting on socks/shoes. On physical assessment, patient would be observed the appearance of the thoracic cage, for any deformity, an inadequate chest expansion and auscultation for adventitious sounds. Patients with COPD are often diagnosed with emphysema, where alveoli of the lungs damaged and these damaged tiny sacs cannot be seen directly in physical exam. There are diagnostic tests would be necessary to perform such as CT or X-ray scans of the chest. Additional tests would be performed to measure pulmonary function test, arterial blood gases and sputum collection if necessary to determine any bacteria growth in respiratory

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/copd/001/) is considered one of the most common causes of death in the world today and, it appears that most of the patients are active smokers. However, according to researchers, the pulmonary disease can affect everybody, not only people who smoke.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. To understand this disease, it’s important to know how breathing should occur. When you breathe, air follows down your windpipe into tubes in your lungs called bronchial tubes or airways. Your bronchial tubes then branch into thousands of smaller tubes called bronchioles, which end in tiny round air sacs called alveoli. Capillaries run through the walls of the alveoli and when air reaches them,

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, commonly known as COPD, is a slowly progressive inflammatory respiratory disease that affects the airways in the lungs. This makes it difficult for affected individuals to breath and get enough oxygen into their body. According to health statistics, COPD is the third leading cause of death and disability in the U.S.

When suffering from COPD the lungs do not function normally. Normally, meaning the air you breath in goes down your windpipe into tubes in your lungs, bronchial tubes. In the lungs, your bronchial tubes branch into thousand smaller, thinner tubes called bronchioles. These tubes end in bunches of tiny round air sacs called alveoli. Small blood vessels, capillaries, run through the

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, is the overarching name given to multiple lung diseases. In adults, this includes emphysema, an

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease better known as COPD is a term used to describe progressive lung diseases which includes the following: emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible) asthma, and some forms of bronchiectasis. Mainly caused from toxins in cigarette smoke. Other causes being air pollutants, chemicals fumes, and dust from work environments. COPD is the fourth most common cause of death in the United States. COPD has four stages of progression with no viable cure. The only relief persons who suffer from this condition is treatments to help manage the disease. Treatments used are determined by what stage you are in the progression of the disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the 4th leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of morbidity (CDC, 2011).

However, many people show signs of both conditions resulting in the more commonly used general category of COPD (Falvo, 2014). The pulmonary characteristics of COPD occur when the air sacs in the lungs do not allow as much air to flow through when compared to normal functioning lungs. This can be due to the air sac’s elastic quality or the walls between air sacs have been destroyed, inflamed, or make more mucous than usual resulting in clogged airways (NHLBI, 2013). Emphysema is diagnosed when the walls between the air sacs are damaged. This results in fewer, larger air sacs instead of many smaller ones, reducing the gas exchange in the lungs (Falvo, 2014). In chronic bronchitis, the lining is thickened due to being constantly irritated and inflamed. This causes mucus to form and restricts the ability to breath (Falvo, 2014; NHLBI,

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, also known as COPD, is the third leading cause of death in the United States. COPD includes extensive lungs diseases such as emphysema, non-reversible asthma, specific forms of bronchiectasis, and chronic bronchitis. This disease restricts the flow of air in and out of the lungs. Ways in which these limitations may occur include the loss of elasticity in the air sacs and throughout the airways, the destruction of the walls between air sacs, the inflammation or thickening of airway walls, or the overproduction of mucus in airways which can lead to blockage. Throughout this paper I am going to explain the main causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and ways to reduce COPD.