A Discussion of Emphysema and COPD

1252 Words3 Pages

Breathing in and out is an innate behavior that we are born with; also, it is a behavior that people take for granted. Let’s say, people who smoke think a cough, or a cough with phlegm is a sign that they are about to get a cold, but then again it can be a sign of a potential health problem like emphysema, asthma, or tuberculosis. People smoke for different reasons; nevertheless, it is an addiction that they can recover from. It may take them several tries to quit smoking, but they can quit. People don’t think about the harm that they are putting on their lungs and alveoli when they put a cigarette to their mouth. For example, many long time smokers are diagnose with emphysema every minute. Emphysema is an example of a chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) that has causes numerous deaths and disabilities in the United States of America. Also, smoking is the number one causes of death in developed countries.

The functioning of the chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) is that it has a permanent decrease in the ability to force air out of the lungs. Consequently, it causes emphysema to become a more advanced disease with no cure. Emphysema is known for their permanent enlargement of the alveoli, which are accompanied by the destruction of the alveolar walls. The lungs lose their elasticity, so it loses its ability to recoil passively during expiration. People who have emphysema becomes exhausted fast because they need about fifteen to twenty percent of their body energy to breath which is more than what a healthy person needs. Smoking inhibits and destroys cilia in the conducting zone structures, which is the line of defense for the respiratory system.

Can you imagine when people smoke cigarettes how the smoke t...

... middle of paper ...

...a are bronchodilators like anticholinergic, beta agonists, theophylline and oxygen, which are for the advance cases of the disease. In addition, the best treatment for people whom have emphysema is for them to stop smoking.

Works Cited

Carone M, D. C. ( 2007). Clinical Challenges In COPD[e-book]. (Oxford: Clinical Pub) Retrieved March 24, 2014, from (EBSCOhost).
Haas, D. F. (1990). The Chronic Bronchitis And EMPHYSEMA. New York,NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Houghton, A. M. (2008, October). Common origins of lung cancer and COPD.Nature Medicine [serial online]. doi:10.1038/nm1008-1023
Minai, Omar A., Joshua Benditt and Fernando J. Martinez. (2008, Februrary 18). Natural History Of Emphysema. doi:10.1513/pats.200802-018ET
Smith, B. M. (2014, January). Pulmonary Emphysema Subtypes on Computed Tomography: The MESA COPD Study. doi:DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.09.020)

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