chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(noun)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the occurrence of chronic bronchitis or emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed. This leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs, causing shortness of breath (dyspnea).

Related Terms

Examples of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the following topics:

  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the occurrence of chronic bronchitis or emphysema.
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), chronic airflow limitation (CAL) and chronic obstructive respiratory disease (CORD), is the occurrence of chronic bronchitis or emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed.
    • The diagnosis of COPD should be considered in anyone who has dyspnea, chronic cough or sputum production, and/or a history of exposure to risk factors for the disease, such as regular tobacco smoking.
    • It can be useful to help exclude other lung diseases, such as pneumonia, pulmonary edema or a pneumothorax.
    • However, COPD is both a preventable and treatable disease.

  • Effects of Smoking

    • Among the diseases that can be caused by smoking are vascular stenosis, lung cancer, heart attacks, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
    • Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis), and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer).
    • It also causes peripheral vascular disease and hypertension.
    • Starting smoking earlier in life and smoking cigarettes higher in tar increases the risk of these diseases.

  • Compromised Host

    • Advanced age or premature birth, along with immunodeficiency (due to drugs, illness, or irradiation) present a general risk, while other diseases can present specific risks; for instance, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can increase chances of respiratory tract infection.

  • Aging and the Respiratory System

    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the occurrence of chronic bronchitis or emphysema, a pair of commonly coexisting lung disease in which airways become narrowed.
    • In humans, conscious change often modifies autonomous reaction to need, a pattern that can vary due to things like fear or anxiety, loss of lung elasticity due to aging, pulmonary diseases such as emphysema , or abdominal expansion from obesity.
    • As alveoli die, the number of lung capillaries decreases and the elastin of the lungs begins to break down, causing loss of pulmonary elasticity.
    • Emphysema is a common lung disease in the elderly.
    • An alveoli with both cross-section and external views, bronchiole, pulmonary vein, pulmonary artery, alveolar sacs, and alveoli.

  • Asthma

    • Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by reversible airflow obstruction and bronchospasm.
    • Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm.
    • Although asthma is a chronic obstructive condition, it is not considered as a part of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as this term refers specifically to irreversible combinations of disease such as bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.
    • Unlike these diseases, the airway obstruction in asthma is usually reversible; however, if left untreated, the chronic inflammation from asthma can lead the lungs to become irreversibly obstructed due to airway remodeling.
    • If mild persistent disease is present (more than two attacks a week), low-dose inhaled glucocorticoids or alternatively, an oral leukotriene antagonist or a mast cell stabilizer is recommended.

  • Disorders of Acid-Base Balance

    • This failure in ventilation may be caused by depression of the central respiratory center by cerebral disease or drugs, inability to ventilate adequately due to neuromuscular disease (e.g., myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Guillain-BarrĂ© syndrome, muscular dystrophy), or airway obstruction related to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation.
    • There are two types of respiratory alkalosis: chronic and acute.
    • Chronic respiratory alkalosis is a more long-standing condition.

  • Chemical Composition of Bone

    • This failure in ventilation may be caused by depression of the central respiratory center by cerebral disease or drugs, an inability to ventilate adequately due to neuromuscular disease (e.g., myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Guillain-BarrĂ© syndrome, muscular dystrophy), or airway obstructions related to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation.
    • There are two types of respiratory alkalosis: chronic and acute.
    • Chronic respiratory alkalosis is a more long-standing condition.

  • Lung Capacity and Volume

    • Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) may be used to help diagnose different pulmonary diseases.
    • An FEV1/FVC ratio of >80% indicates a restrictive lung disease like pulmonary fibrosis or infant respiratory distress syndrome.
    • An FEV1/FVC ratio of <70% indicates an obstructive lung disease like asthma or COPD.
    • VC tends to be decreased in those with restrictive lung diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis, making VC a good diagnostic indicator of restrictive lung diseases .
    • The FEV1/FVC ratio is an important indicator of lung health and is the standard approach for diagnosing COPD (chronic pulmonary obstructive disease), which includes emphysema and bronchitis, which are both caused by smoking.

  • Alveoli

    • Found in the lung parenchyma, the pulmonary alveoli are the terminal ends of the respiratory tree that outcrop from either alveolar sacs or alveolar ducts; both are sites of gas exchange with blood.
    • This is a common occurrence in people with lung diseases like COPD (chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder, i.e., emphysema and bronchitis) or restrictive lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, in which scarring of the lung tissue hinders gas exchange in the alveoli, or lung infections like pnuemonia.

  • Heart Valve Disorders

    • Pulmonary and tricuspid valve diseases are right-side heart diseases.
    • Pulmonary valve diseases are the least common heart valve disease in adults.
    • The most common types of pulmonary valve diseases are: pulmonary valve insufficiency, pulmonary valve incompetence, and pulmonary valve regurgitation.
    • Both tricuspid and pulmonary valve diseases are less common than aortic or mitral valve diseases due to the lower pressure those valves experience.
    • Complications arise when the flow of blood is obstructed from leaving the right ventricle and making its way into the pulmonary artery, or once blood is in the pulmonary artery, the blood has the ability to flow back into the right ventricle.