Question

1)BRIEFLY DESCRIBE COPD , cause and is it treatable or curable how? please answer in own your word

2) what are the risk factors of COPD AND IS it genetically transmited

3) what are The pathological change of this diseases

Answer 1

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a preventable and treatable slowly progressive respiratory disease of airflow obstruction which involves the airways, pulmonary parenchyma or both. Copd involves mainly emphysema, chronic bronchitis. COPD CAN COEXIST WITH ASTHMA.

Chronic bronchitis is defined as the presence of cough and sputum production for at least 3 months in each of 2 consecutive years.

Emphysema is an abnormal distention of the air spaces beyond the terminal bronchioles resulting in impaired oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange.

Causes of COPD.

one of the major cause of COPD is cigarette smoking. Second hand cigarette smoking is also a cause of of COPD.

Long term exposure to lung irritants can damage the lung parenchyma.

Chronic Exposure to chemical fumes or dust in the workplace.

Rarely a genetic disorder called alpha 1 antitrysin deficiency can cause COPD. it is protein produced in the liver. Deficiency of the protein can cause lung damage.

Asthma is also one major cause of COPD.

COPD is a treatable disease and not. A curable disease. The symptoms can be treated to a certain extent and can be controlled with regular medication, follow up and avoiding exposure with exacerbating factors.

RISK FACTORS.

Increased age

Indoor and outdoor pollution.

Exposure to tobacco smoke.

Passive smoking.

Occupational exposure to dusts and chemicals.

Alpha 1 antitrysin deficiency, an enzyme inhibitor that normally counteracts the destruction of lung tissue by certain other enzymes.

Most of the time COPD isn’t hereditary. It’s usually caused by exposure to tobacco smoke or chemical fumes.but some times it can be hereditary in cases like hereditary alpha 1 anti trypsin deficiency.

Pathologic changes.

In copd the airflow limitation is both progressive and associated with the lungs abnormal inflammatory response. The inflammatory response occurs throughout the proximal and peripheral Airways, the lung parenchyma and pulmonary vasculature. In the proximal Airways (trachea and bronchi greater than 2 mm in diameter) there is increased number of goblet cells and enlarged submucosal glands which leads to hypersecretion of mucous. In the peripheral bronchioles inflammation causes thickening of the airway wall, peribronchial fibrosis, exudate in the airway and overall airway narrowing. Alveolar wall destruction causes a decrease in elastic recoil. Finally the chronic inflammatory process affects the pulmonary vasculature and causes thickening of the lining of the vessel and hypertrophy of smooth vessel leading to pulmonary hypertension.