COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and it entail two kinds of disease processes. These are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Oftentimes, those who suffer from COPD show a number of features from both of these disease processes, not just either one. In basic terms, COPD actually means that there is a form of persistent lung disease affecting a person that narrows the airways of that person.
More specifically, bronchitis means that there is inflammation of the bronchi, or the larger airways within the lungs, whereas emphysema will entail the destruction of the smaller airways, as well as the alveoli. Alveoli are the airsacs that are found within the lungs. Hence, COPD is used to either describe both emphysema and bronchitis, or just one of the two.
COPD is one of the most common conditions that will require admission to hospital, during ‘flare ups’. According to a well known epidemiology study in the United States, around eight million people currently suffer from chronic bronchitis, whereas 2 million people suffer with emphysema. This clearly shows that chronic bronchitis is more common than the emphysema condition.
Smoking is one of the most common causes of COPD. In fact, it’s the number one cause, ad more than 90 per cent of people that suffer from COPD are smokers of either cigarettes or other ‘smokable’ things. Around 30 per cent of people who smoke long term will begin to show signs of COPD, to varying degrees of seriousness.
Smoking causes COPD by inadvertently damaging the lining of a person’s airways. As with all other parts of the body, and their responses to injury, this part of the body will begin to inflame. Inflammation then stimulates the damaged lining to start secreting mucus, in an extortionate amount. This is another thing that causes the airways to constrict.
More specifically, bronchitis means that there is inflammation of the bronchi, or the larger airways within the lungs, whereas emphysema will entail the destruction of the smaller airways, as well as the alveoli. Alveoli are the airsacs that are found within the lungs. Hence, COPD is used to either describe both emphysema and bronchitis, or just one of the two.
COPD is one of the most common conditions that will require admission to hospital, during ‘flare ups’. According to a well known epidemiology study in the United States, around eight million people currently suffer from chronic bronchitis, whereas 2 million people suffer with emphysema. This clearly shows that chronic bronchitis is more common than the emphysema condition.
Smoking is one of the most common causes of COPD. In fact, it’s the number one cause, ad more than 90 per cent of people that suffer from COPD are smokers of either cigarettes or other ‘smokable’ things. Around 30 per cent of people who smoke long term will begin to show signs of COPD, to varying degrees of seriousness.
Smoking causes COPD by inadvertently damaging the lining of a person’s airways. As with all other parts of the body, and their responses to injury, this part of the body will begin to inflame. Inflammation then stimulates the damaged lining to start secreting mucus, in an extortionate amount. This is another thing that causes the airways to constrict.
