Nursing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Have you ever known a person who smokes and has a hard time doing every day activities, due to difficulty of breath, or constantly coughing. He or she may have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD. COPD is a progressive and treatable lung disease that causes shortness of breath due to obstruction of air way (COPD, 2013). Progressive means that is gradually gets worse over time. It is a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (Causes,2014). Chronic bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchioles, which causes mucus build up (Davis,2016). Emphysema is when the air sacs get enlarged (Smoking, 2016). Since the disease does not have a cure yet it is important to know pathology (path of disease), epidemiology (who is effected in a population), ethology (who is effected genetically), manifestation (symptoms), treatment, and outcome.

COPD is the continued tightening of the airways, causing a blockage to the airflow to the lungs, which causes shortness of breath. It chiefly comprises of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Both are typically caused by smoking, or less frequently, by work-related exposure to dusts or

A. has a history of smoking for 50 years and being diagnosed with COPD 2 years ago. Development of COPD and its exacerbations may be a leading caused by bacteria, viruses, or environmental pollutants, including cigarette smoke. Coussa, et al, “Expiratory flow limitation (EFL), as a consequence of airway inflammation is the pathophysiological hallmark of COPD.” Exacerbations fundamentally reflect acute worsening of EFL and there is evidence for both increased airway inflammatory activity and worsening airway obstruction as likely explanations.

Within the confines of this assignment, it is the hope of the author that the reader will obtain an understanding of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This will be achieved by bringing the reader through the patients’ illness journey. The assignment will begin by defining COPD and briefly going through the pathophysiology and incidents of the condition. From there the reader will embark on the journey, starting with diagnosis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, commonly known as COPD, is a collection of lung conditions or diseases that, all together, block the flow of air into the lungs. This condition makes it hard for the patient have dyspnea, anoxia, or eventually apnea. COPD usually starts off small and gradually gets worse and worse over time, hints chronic in its name. Because it starts off small there are many people who have this disease but do not know it until it is further along and worse. This disease is very common for both smokers and nonsmokers and is a bigger threat to our health than most people think. < Victor >< MacGill >

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is preventable disease that has a detrimental effects on both the airway and lung parenchyma (Nazir & Erbland, 2009). COPD categorises emphysema and chronic bronchitis, both of which are characterised by a reduced maximum expiratory flow and slow but forced emptying of the lungs (Jeffery 1998). The disease has the one of the highest number of fatalities in the developed world due to the ever increasing amount of tobacco smokers and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality (Marx, Hockberger & Walls, 2014). Signs and symptoms that indicate the presence of the disease include a productive cough, wheezing, dyspnoea and predisposing risk factors (Edelman et al., 1992).

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.

COPD which is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is known as a condition that progressively makes it harder to breathe because the airflow into and out of the lungs is reduced. This usually occurs because the airways and air sacs lose their elastic quality, the walls between the air sacs are destroyed, the walls of the airways become swollen, or if the airways are clogged because they made more mucus than usual. Three main conditions of this disease are emphysema, chronic obstructive bronchitis, and asthma. Most patients who suffer from COPD also suffer from emphysema and chronic bronchitis as to why they are commonly just defined as COPD. The patients who experience one or more of these conditions usually find it even more difficult to

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is progressive and disabling condition that prevents air getting to the lungs(Ray Higginson, 2011). COPD includes Emphysema, damage to the alveoli sacs making it harder to breath and chronic bronchitis, inflamed bronchi that produce excessive mucus making it harder to get air in and out of the lungs(Ray Higginson, 2011). A person suffering from COPD struggles with everyday activates due to shortness of breath and dyspnea they may experience and the disease reduces their quality of life(Fairclough & Burns, 2009). This essay will explore Terry, who is a 72-year-old man who was admitted to the emergency department due to infective exacerbation. It

COPD is an abbreviated term for the lung disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and it is seen in people everyday. It is estimated that this disease affects roughly 24 million individuals in the U.S.. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease occurs in other countries instead of just the United States. It is increasing rapidly and therapies currently do not alter the disease (Gross “Abstract”). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease can be caused by smoking, environmental factors and or genetic factors, which are the top three risk factors for this disease (COPD Foundation). Although it can be genetic, it is mostly caused by inhaling pollutants.This disease may be slightly treated if not all the way by different breathing techniques and medications. COPD is a lung disease that worsens as it progresses to the point that it may be life threatening, but it can be prevented by staying away or using caution around pollutants such as harsh fumes and cigarette smoke.

The lungs of an individual with COPD experience symptoms of both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. With bronchitis, airways are constantly irritated causing those structures become inflamed and thick. Also, excess mucous production causes blockage. Emphysema is a condition where the walls of the alveoli are damaged. Airways lose their elasticity so the amount of gas exchange is limited. The body’s tissues are deprived of oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide becomes more difficult. Overall, the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is less than normal and shortness of breath becomes increasingly more prevalent. Symptoms worsen over time.

COPD is a progressive disease that makes it difficult to breath. Loss of elasticity, the destruction of the air sacs (emphysema), airways becomes thick and inflamed (chronic bronchitis), and/or increased mucus thickness that blocks the airways. Smoking is the most common cause of COPD, however it can be caused by a long exposure to irritants to the lung, such as chemicals. COPD can be directly related to four different causes. COPD does not have a cure, it can only be managed.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, also known as COPD, is defined as a progressive, chronic lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe by limiting airflow and it is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airway and shortness of breath and wheezing. BOOK/FAM PRAC “Progressive” means that the disease gets worse over time. “COPD is one of the important diseases that lead to restrictions, disability, and an increase in mortality rates among elder population” [4,5].TURK STUDY QUOTE The primary cause of death among COPD individuals is cardiovascular disease. PLOS More people (37%) die due to coronary heart disease or heart failure than those (34%) who die from COPD alone. #2 PLOS

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.

Encompassed primarily by two conditions, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to a group of diseases of a debilitating and progressive nature that cause inflammation of the airway and interferes with the ability to breathe (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [NHLBI], 2013). The diseases in COPD have some shared characteristics, including a progressive and irreversible limitation of the airflow associated with an abnormal inflammation of the peripheral bronchioles and considerable damage to lung parenchyma (NHLBI, 2013). In the United States (US), there are approximately 15.7 million adults diagnosed with COPD, although estimates suggest that these figures are higher