Question

how does muscular/skeletal system, integumentry, cardiovascular, respiratory, neuro/sensory, gastrointestinal urinary, endocrine/lymphatic, reproductive and immune system affected by COPD? explain its affect on each system in detail

Answer 1

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs. Symptoms include breathing difficulty, cough, mucus (sputum) production and wheezing.

Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the most common conditions that make up COPD. These two conditions usually occur together and can vary in severity among individuals with COPD.

Chronic bronchitis is inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs. It's characterized by daily cough and mucus (sputum) production.

Emphysema is a condition in which the alveoli at the end of the smallest air passages (bronchioles) of the lungs are destroyed as a result of damaging exposure to cigarette smoke and other irritating gases and particulate matter.

Its effect on various systems are the following:

INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

• Redness of the skin because the capillaries are congested
• Production of a great deal of mucous and other secretions, sometimes including pus
• Enlarged glands
• Blue tint to skin around the lips or fingernails

SKETELAL / MUSCULAR SYSTEM

Skeletal muscle dysfunction is very common in patients with COPD. It may play an important role in limiting exercise performance in these patients. Muscle strength and endurance are both decreased and the muscle is more easily fatigued. Muscle atrophy is largely responsible for the reduction in muscle strength.

NEURO SENSORY SYSTEM

There are several ways that COPD may affect thinking and memory. COPD reduces the amount of air your lungs take in, which, over time, can make your blood low in oxygen. Low levels of oxygen to the brain may cause neural damage. This could increase your risk for memory problems.

In COPD patients the activity of sympathetic nerves may be affected by recurrent hypoxemia, hypercapnia, increased intrathoracic pressure swings due to airway obstruction, increased respiratory effort, systemic inflammation and the use of betasympathomimetics.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

It slowly damage the lungs and affects breathing.

Effect of COPD on breathing:

The airways of the lungs (bronchial tubes) become inflamed and narrowed. They tend to collapse when you breathe out and can become clogged with mucus. This reduces airflow through the bronchial tubes, a condition called airway obstruction, making it difficult to move air in and out of the lungs. The inflammation of the bronchial tubes makes the nerves in the lungs very sensitive. In response to irritation, the body forces air through the airways by a rapid and strong contraction of the muscles of respiration—a cough. The rapid movement of air in the breathing tubes helps remove mucus from the lungs into the throat. People with COPD often cough a great deal in the morning after a large amount of mucus has built up overnight (smoker's cough).

Emphysema can lead to destruction of the alveoli, the tiny air sacs that allow oxygen to get into the blood. Their destruction leads to the formation of large air pockets in the lung called bullae. These bullae do not exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide like normal lung tissue. Also, the bullae can become very large. Normal lung tissue next to the bullae cannot expand properly, reducing lung function.

Chronic bronchitis affects the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange because the airway swelling and mucus production can also narrow the airways and reduce the flow of oxygen-rich air into the lung and carbon dioxide out of the lung.

The damage to the alveoli and airways makes it harder to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen during each breath. Decreased levels of oxygen in the blood and increased levels of carbon dioxide cause the breathing muscles to contract harder and faster. The nerves in the muscles and lungs sense this increased activity and report it to the brain. As a result, you feel shortness of breath.

CARDIOVACULAR SYSTEMS

COPD can cause low oxygen levels in the blood, thereby placing additional stress on the heart and worsening symptoms of left-sided heart failure. On the other hand, left-sided heart failure can contribute to fluid buildup in the lungs, aggravating the symptoms of COPD.

Severe COPD can cause heart failure in your heart’s lower right chamber, or ventricle. This is a condition called right-sided heart failure or cor pulmonale.

GASTRO INTESTINAL SYSTEMS

Stomach might feel tight or stick out, which can be very uncomfortable. It can also make it more difficult for you to eat and get the nutrition that you need. One study found that about 85% of people with COPD had at least one digestive system problem. Bloating of the belly and feeling full very quickly after starting to eat were the most common problems.

URINARY SYSTEM

• Reduced kidney function
• Reduced glomerular filtration rate

Urinary incontinence is more common in COPD patients than in the general population.

IMMUNE SYSTEM

Patients are prone to recurrent respiratory infections leading to disease severity. In COPD, not only the initial response to pathogens but also the strength with which the adaptive immune system responds to such challenges is impaired. Such weakened immune responses can lead to recurrent infections.

Oveall effect through this image