What are the characteristics of obstructive lung disease?
It is generally characterized by inflamed and easily collapsible airways, obstruction to airflow, problems exhaling, and frequent medical clinic visits and hospitalizations. Types of obstructive lung disease include; asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
What is COPD and its pathophysiology?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a life-threatening condition that affects your lungs and your ability to breathe. Pathophysiology is the evolution of adverse functional changes associated with a disease. For people with COPD, this starts with damage to the airways and tiny air sacs in the lungs.
What are the complications of COPD?
COPD can cause many complications, including:
- Respiratory infections. People with COPD are more likely to catch colds, the flu and pneumonia.
- Heart problems.
- Lung cancer.
- High blood pressure in lung arteries.
- Depression.
How is obstructive lung disease diagnosed?
Diagnosis often involves physical exams and some imaging tests, such as a CT scan or an X-ray of the chest. In some cases, a doctor may look at the lungs with a thin, flexible lighted camera called a bronchoscope. They will use this to check for damage and obstructions.
What causes obstructive lung disease?
What Causes COPD? Over time, exposure to irritants that damage your lungs and airways can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The main cause of COPD is smoking, but nonsmokers can get COPD too.
What is the life threatening complication of COPD?
Pulmonary Hypertension It’s a common and serious complication of COPD. Symptoms include breathlessness and tiredness that typically get worse with exercise or sleep. Pulmonary hypertension often worsens symptoms and outcomes for people with COPD and shortens lifespan as well.
What is the major cause of chronic obstructive lung disease?
Over time, exposure to irritants that damage your lungs and airways can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The main cause of COPD is smoking, but nonsmokers can get COPD too.
Can a doctor tell if you have COPD by listening to your lungs?
If you are showing symptoms of COPD, your doctor will perform an exam. He or she will ask you about your symptoms and medical history. They will place a stethoscope on your chest and back to listen to you breathe. An important test to diagnose COPD is called a spirometry test.
How can you tell if lung disease is obstructive or restrictive?
Lab tests may give an indication of the severity of lung disease, but are not very helpful in determining if it is obstructive or restrictive in nature. Oximetry, a measure of the oxygen content in the blood, may be low in both types of diseases.
What are the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
Overview. 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. It’s caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases or particulate matter, most often from cigarette smoke.
What are the treatment options for obstructive lung disease?
The treatment options are significantly different for obstructive and restrictive lung diseases, though treatments can vary considerably depending on the particular root cause. With obstructive lung diseases such as COPD and asthma, medications that dilate the airways (bronchodilators) can be very helpful.
What is the gold system for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term (chronic) condition. COPD is described according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) system using four stages.