Question

describe the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Answer 1

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is apreventable and treatable slowly progressive respiratory disease of airflow obstruction involvin the airway, pulmonary parenchyma or both. The airflow limitation or obstruction in COPD is not fully reversible. Most of the COPD patients presented with overlapping signs and symptoms of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. So COPD may include diseases that cause airflow obstruction or any combination of those disorders.

Risk factors of COPD include passsive smoking, exposure to tobacco, increased age, occupational exposure, air pollution, genetic abnormalities etc.

Pathophysiology of COPD is by any of the risk factor the inflammatiory response occur throughout the proximal and peripheral airways, lung parenchyma etc. Inflammation causes thicknening of the airway wall and overall narrowing. It leads to decreased air flow through the trachea and bronchi.

Treatment for COPD include bronchodilators which relieve the bronchospasm, corticosteroids to relieve the inflammation, oxygen therapy to maintain normal oxygen saturation. Also risk reduction techniques such as avoid smoking, regular check up etc are used to prevent the COPD.

Surgical management such as bullectomy, lung transplantation are also used in severe cases.