Understanding Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Female: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease kills over 100,000 Americans each year making it the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. So what exactly is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Dr. Joshua: Actually, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD refers to two different diseases of the lung, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Since emphysema and chronic bronchitis are each usually caused by years of cigarette smoking, afflicted individuals are almost always diagnosed with both at once. Hence, the umbrella term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This combination of diseases can also be caused by years of inhaling a variety of industrial toxins, fumes and chemicals. Prolonged exposure to air pollution and second-hand smoke or even a history of childhood lung infections can also lead to COPD. However, since chronic bronchitis and emphysema affect two different parts of the lungs, let us take a separate look on each of these diseases. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by inflammation of the bronchial tubes which are which are passageways that branch off from the trachea or windpipe and allow air to enter the lungs. This inflammation causes thick mucus to build up in the tubes preventing sufficient air from reaching the lungs.

Emphysema occurs when the walls between the air sacs in the lungs known as alveoli loose their elasticity. This in turn causes the air sacs to become fragile and over inflated leading to an unnatural retention of air within the lungs. The symptoms of COPD tend to depend on which diseases more prominent in the afflicted individual. If emphysema is the predominant disease, the first notable symptom will be a shortness of breath during physical exertion. This will soon be followed by a phlegmatic cough and pursed lip breathing. If chronic bronchitis predominates, a persistent mucus-filled cough will often be the first symptom to appear. This may be accompanied by wheezing, shortness of breath, fatigue and respiratory or lung infections. COPD is usually diagnosed based on an individual’s medical history and an examination of his or her lungs. This lung examination can be done with chest x-rays, CAT scans and any number of pulmonary function tests such as spirometry. A spirometer measures the inhalations and exhalations belong and the efficiency of their ability to transfer oxygen to the blood.

There is no cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, however, its destructive presence can be controlled and slowed with close medical attention allowing those afflicted to live longer and healthier lives. If you are concerned that you may have COPD, or are experiencing symptoms of either of its component diseases, please see your doctor or pulmonologist for a check up immediately.

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