Remove Ads

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
COPD
#1
Shocked 
[size=4][b]Bronchitis is It Contagous - COPD - Definition, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment[/b][/size][hr]What does COPD mean? COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It encompasses two types of disease processes namely chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Quite often, people who suffer from COPD show a combination of features of both disease processes. In lay person's term, COPD means persistent lung disease with features of airway narrowing. To be more specific, bronchitis means inflammation of the bronchi or the larger airways of the lungs whereas emphysema means destruction to the smaller airways and alveoli or airsacs of the lungs. Thus COPD is commonly used to describe chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both.

[size=large][b]What are the Treatments of COPD?[/b][/size][hr]First of all. Stop smoking. This cannot be stressed enough. Smoking cessation is the first thing you have to do if you want to get better. As the underlying mechanism of COPD is irreversible, medications are used with an aim to slow down it's progress. Drugs that are commonly used to treat COPD include short-acting bronchodilator inhalers (i.e. salbutamol), long-acting bronchodilator inhalers (i.e. tiotropium), steroid inhalers and tablets are all available drugs for treatment of COPD. Again, no treatment is more important that stop smoking. Lung transplant is the last option and should be reserved for people with severe COPD. We can proudly say that there is no competition to the meaning of Bronchitis Emphysema, when comparing this article with other articles on Bronchitis Emphysema found on the net. Big Grin.

[size=large][b]What are the Symptoms of COPD?[/b][/size][hr]The two main symptoms are cough and breathlessness. COPD sufferers commonly complain about breathlessness and cough that develop gradually over a long period of time. The cough that COPD sufferer gets are usually productive which means they commonly cough up phlegm. The cough usually comes and goes initially but tends to become persistent as time passes. Breathlessness is usually intermittent and only occurs with exertion in the beginning, however if you continue to smoke, the breathlessness persists even when you are at rest, this can be quite distressing! Other symptoms are chronic sputum production, where you constantly cough up phlegm all day and recurrent chest infection. People with COPD are more prone to chest infection for obvious reasons, as the lining in the lung looses its normal defense mechanism against intruding bugs.

[size=large][b]What are the Causes of COPD?[/b][/size][hr]Smoking. Smoking is the number 1 cause of COPD. More than 90 percent of COPDs are caused by smoking, cigarette or otherwise. About 30 percent of long term smokers will eventually show symptoms of COPD of varying degrees. Other causes include air pollution and inherited enzyme deficiency namely alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
[size=medium][b]Bronchitis Symptoms and smoking[/b][/size]


Quote:* Bronchitis symptoms and Smoking - You know that smoking isn't good for you. You can suffer from bronchitis symptoms.

[size=large][b]COPD a Common Condition?[/b][/size][hr]It is one of the commonest conditions that require hospital admission during period of flare-ups. According to one epidemiology study in the US, approximately eight million people have chronic bronchitis whereas 2 million people have emphysema. As we can see, chronic bronchitis is more common than emphysema. Smile

[size=large][b]How Does Smoking Cause COPD?[/b][/size][hr]Smoking inadvertently damages the lining of the airways. As with any other part of the body in response to injury, inflammation occurs. Inflammation stimulates the damaged lining to secrete mucus in an abnormal amount and also causes the airway to constrict (narrow). We do not mean to show some implication that Chronic Bronchitis have to rule the world or something like that. We only mean to let you know the actual meaning of Chronic Bronchitis!

COPD sounds like asthma, are they any different? Yes. Both COPD and asthma cause similar symptoms, however, they are different in certain ways. COPD causes permanent damage to the airways. The obstruction is 'fixed', hence it is irreversible in general terms. However, airway narrowing in asthma is intermittent and reverses quite easily with medication. Having said that, both COPD and asthma is common, people who suffer COPD can have an asthmatic component and vice versa. The facts on Bronchitis mentioned here have a consequential impact on your understanding on Bronchitis. This is because these facts are the basic and important points about Bronchitis.

Sometimes, for a person with chronic bronchitis, the symptoms will quickly get worse all of a sudden. This is known as an acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, or AECB. Many people that die from chronic bronchitis does so during an episode of acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, so a person having an attack of AECB must get medical attention right away to maximize his/her chances of survival.

[size=large][b]What Triggers AECB?[/b][/size][hr]Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis are commonly triggered by one or more of the following: -Bacterial or viral infections (e.g. cold, flu) Chronic Bronchitis are basically interesting parts of our day-to-day life. It is only that sometimes, we are not aware of this fact! Big Grin.

Air pollutants that irritate the lungs (e.g. smoke, fumes, dust) -Weather changes To avoid AECB, a chronic bronchitic is advised to stay away from places with heavy air pollution, to get flu and pneumonia shots, and to maintain a healthy diet to strengthen the immune system against infections.

You are experiencing AECB, you should seek medical treatment immediately. AECB has been known to cause other problems, and many are admitted to the hospital every year for complications from AECB. If you are experiencing this, remember not to panic. Keep your breathing as steady as possible, and calmly call a doctor of physician for advice. Because AECB can come suddenly without warning, it is always best to keep any doctor prescribed inhalants on you just in case. Make sure to check with your doctor, and make sure that these inhalers are fine to take when you are experiencing AECB, to avoid any further complications. Try lying down with a humidifier running, or hopping in a warm shower to help you breath and reduce the symptoms of AECB. Bronchitis came into being some time back. However, would you believe that there are some people who still don't know what a Bronchitis is?

[size=large][b]What Happens During AECB?[/b][/size][hr]During an AECB, the already narrower-than-normal air passageways in the lungs become even narrower, and even more and thicker mucous is secreted. This will cause breathing to become even more difficult. This may be accompanied by a fever, chills, and feeling weak in the knees. If the sudden acute exacerbation is due to bacterial infection, the mucus coughed up during expectoration may be speckled with blood, or colored a brighter than normal yellow or green. If the individual is suffering from fever, and has discovered blood in their mucus, there is a good chance the doctor will take a chest x-ray to make sure that pneumonia is not the underlying cause of the symptoms. Developing a basis for this composition on Bronchitis was a lengthy task. It took lots of patience and hard work to develop. Smile

Bronchitis is one of the most common respiratory infections that could be contracted by both children and adults. This disease affects the respiratory tract and is characterized by coughing spells that are accompanied with greenish or yellowish-gray mucus. Other symptoms that could be seen for bronchitis are just like those that can be seen in upper respiratory tract infections like breathlessness, congestion, filled up sinus cavities, wheezing, fever and chills and overall malaise, among others. There are different causes of bronchitis and somehow their difference also lies on what type of bronchitis is contracted by a person.

There are also other causes of chronic bronchitis, which is a serious and ongoing disease. Among these are air pollution and the exposure to toxic gases and dust either in the workplace or in the environment. There are some cases wherein chronic bronchitis can lead to asthma because of the incessant inflammation of the lung's airways. So, everyone should be mindful of the coughs that they are experiencing. They should consult with their doctors once they notice that they are coughing yellowish or greenish mucus, as mucus that is neither white nor clear can already suggest secondary infection like bronchitis. Using our imagination has helped us create a wonderful article on Bronchitis Disease. Being imaginative is indeed very important when writing about Bronchitis Disease! Smile

Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, which is a type of bronchitis where the thickening and inflammation of the bronchial tubes' lining hasn't improved for more than three months, also has its own causes and they are more serious ones. One of the major causes of bronchitis that has already progressed into being a chronic disease is smoking. Among the symptoms of chronic bronchitis are a continuous cough that is accompanied with great amounts of mucus being coughed up and shortness of breathing. A person is usually regarded as already having chronic bronchitis if his cough continues on after three months until two years. Even the beginner will get to learn more about Occupational Bronchitis after reading this article. It is written in easy language so that everyone will be able to understand it.

When it comes to a person with acute bronchitis, the culprit is almost always the similar viruses that could be contracted and could lead to colds. However, one of the causes of bronchitis, especially the acute kind, could also be found on a person's exposure to second-hand smoke from cigarettes or from his own cigarette smoking. Smog and household cleaners, which are among the most common pollutants that a person can get in contact with, are also known culprits when it comes to acute bronchitis. Suppressing our knowledge on Acute Bronchitis is not our intention here. In fact, we mean to let everyone know more about Acute Bronchitis after reading this!

The bronchitis disease may, however, also visit persons who have gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. This condition is characterized by the consistent backing up of acids right into the food pipe, from the stomach. Those workers who are also exposed everyday to fumes or certain dusts, which are common causes of bronchitis, could also contract what is known as occupational bronchitis. This is an acute type of bronchitis that usually clears up when its patients refrain themselves from getting exposed to the irritants.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)