The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a progressive disease that makes breathing difficult.
Some of the symptoms include coughing with mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
Long time smokers or secondhand smokers are most prone to this disease.
In fact, smoking is one of its leading causes for the disease, other than people who are constantly exposed to air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust.
The normal function of the lungs is as such.
The air we breathe goes through the bronchial tubes or airways into the lungs, where air will fill the air sacs, which oxygen will be carried through the walls into the capillaries, while the carbon dioxide is transferred from the capillaries into the air sacs to be released.
The airways and air sacs need to be elastic so that the air cal inflate and deflate properly as we breathe in and out.
Yet, there are several reasons as to why the amount of air flow in and out of the airway decreases in this disease: the airway and air sacs have lost their elasticity, the walls between the air sacs have ruptured, the walls become thick and inflamed, or the production of mucus in the airway is more than usual.
Two of the main conditions include emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Emphysema is a condition where the walls between the wall sacs become damaged and floppy; consequently, the walls of the air sacs ruptures and the air sacs become less but larger, causing the amount of gas exchange to reduce as it is difficult to fill the sacs.
Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, is the condition where the lining of the airways become irritated and inflamed, so the lining will end up thickening as mucus clogs the airway.
As it is possible for people with this disease to have emphysema and chronic bronchitis, the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease has become its general term.
The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.
As it is progressive, there is time to avoid contracting this disease.
No cure has been found for this disease, but with a change in lifestyle, you will be able to prevent making yourself a statistic.
Some of the symptoms include coughing with mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
Long time smokers or secondhand smokers are most prone to this disease.
In fact, smoking is one of its leading causes for the disease, other than people who are constantly exposed to air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust.
The normal function of the lungs is as such.
The air we breathe goes through the bronchial tubes or airways into the lungs, where air will fill the air sacs, which oxygen will be carried through the walls into the capillaries, while the carbon dioxide is transferred from the capillaries into the air sacs to be released.
The airways and air sacs need to be elastic so that the air cal inflate and deflate properly as we breathe in and out.
Yet, there are several reasons as to why the amount of air flow in and out of the airway decreases in this disease: the airway and air sacs have lost their elasticity, the walls between the air sacs have ruptured, the walls become thick and inflamed, or the production of mucus in the airway is more than usual.
Two of the main conditions include emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Emphysema is a condition where the walls between the wall sacs become damaged and floppy; consequently, the walls of the air sacs ruptures and the air sacs become less but larger, causing the amount of gas exchange to reduce as it is difficult to fill the sacs.
Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, is the condition where the lining of the airways become irritated and inflamed, so the lining will end up thickening as mucus clogs the airway.
As it is possible for people with this disease to have emphysema and chronic bronchitis, the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease has become its general term.
The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.
As it is progressive, there is time to avoid contracting this disease.
No cure has been found for this disease, but with a change in lifestyle, you will be able to prevent making yourself a statistic.