Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is also medically termed as chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD). This disease is a broad term for emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and other pulmonary disorders. Moreover, this disease is characterized by a limited flow of the necessary air in the functional passageway assigned to the airflow management in the body. COPD is often caused by tobacco smoking and other irritants found in the environment like asbestos, dust from coal, and harmful solvents.

Chronic bronchitis, which is a form of COAD, is a dreaded respiratory disease characterized by a stubborn, phlegm-filled cough that occurs for a period of at least 90 days in a twelve-month period for two consecutive years. It is also marked by an upsurge in the number of cells (hyperplasia) and it also encourages an unlikely increase in the diameter of the goblet cells (hypertrophy) of glands that secrete mucus within the passageway responsible for airflow. Moreover, the unlikely increase in size and number of the goblet cells triggers a very significant upsurge in the discharge of mucus that blocks the air from coming in.

As these cells enlarge and proliferate, the passage wherein the air goes through them becomes swollen and scarred, which leads to the re-modeling of the thickened walls and thus narrowing the airway.  Another type of COAD, Emphysema, is medically known as the expansion of the areas filled with air that usually destroys the walls of the bronchioles. Due to the amplification of the alveoli or air spaces, the surface of the area needed in order to make the gases move inside the lungs becomes limited.

Causes of COPD and Factors That Can Pose Risks
Cigarette smoking is actually the major cause of COPD since ninety percent of the patients who are reported to have COPD are exposed to tobacco smoke. Some work-related agents or pollutants like asbestos and silica are also risk factors for the onset of COPD. As a consequence, coal miners and those who work in metal/cotton factories and construction sites have the highest risk of developing pneumoconiosis or black lung disease. Pollutants combined with tobacco or cigarette smoking increases the chances of acquiring COPD. Air pollution in the urban areas may also be a major element in the actual progress of COPD as polluted air is harmful to the lungs. The presence of the Genes alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency can also cause COPD. Other actual risk factors are old age, generally weak lungs, and gender.

Symptoms of COPD
An indication of COPD is dyspnea or labored breathing. This occurrence, for the most part, lasts for several months or, in worst cases, years. Moreover, such symptom also comes with wheezing and cough, not to mention a consistent production of sputum. Sputum that contains blood is called hemoptysis that is caused by damaged blood vessels in the airways.

On the other hand, if COPD is already in its severe condition, it causes cyanosis wherein the fingers and lips of the patient exhibit a blue tinge caused by the lack of the necessary oxygen in the body. However, if this condition worsens, cyanosis has the tendency to cause cor pulmonale, a condition that compels the human heart to increase its performance in order to support the respiratory's system by distributing sufficient blood towards the lungs -- a very difficult task for the heart since it is already burdened by the lack of enough oxygen.

Other COPD patients also experience tachypnea, which is characterized by a significant increase in the breathing rate, while this symptom is also accompanied with a "whistling" sound that is significantly echoed through a device such as a stethoscope. However, should the case impel the symptoms to manifest into Emphysema, the disease can be determined by the recognizable sounds it produces during palpitation.

Treatment of COPD
Even though there is no current cure for COPD, its symptoms can be alleviated in many ways. There are many kinds of bronchodilators that are being used to treat COPD and these bronchodilators are: agonists, leukotriene antagonists, cromones, M3 antimuscarinics, and xanthines. These drugs work by relaxing the flat muscles found in the respiratory passageway to amend the flow of the gases or air into the lungs.  Inhaled corticosteroids, specifically glucocorticoids, reduce the inflammation of the thickened walls of the respiratory passageway and may thus improve the airflow.  Since it is not advised to use these corticosteroids within a long period of time, these drugs are usually mixed with different kinds of bronchodilators in an inhaler.

Examples of the commonly inhaled steroids for treatment are fluticasone combined with salmeterol, mometasone, and beclomethasone. The tumor necrosis factor antagonists (TNF) are the recently developed type of medicines specifically designed to treat cases with COPD. Additionally, COPD patients should also be regularly given vaccines against pneumococcus, influenza, and other lung diseases to eradicate the probability of someone dying from this disease. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are also used for disease management along with counseling and physical exercise. Patients suffering from COPD who have less lung damage and are asked to stop their smoking habits immediately usually experience more positive results.

Prevention
In order to effectively prevent the onset of COPD, smoking should be completely stopped. A shift in the occupation for workers who are exposed to toxic and air pollutants can also prevent the onset of this illness. If an occupational change is not feasible, workers can request to be moved to another company location that is less exposed to pollutants. Eating healthy food and maintaining a balanced diet also contributes in building strong resistance to these diseases. Regular exercise along with preservation of a pollutant-free environment is also an essential means in preventing the onset of this disease.