COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), also known as CORD (chronic obstructive respiratory disease), COLD (chronic obstructive lung disease), CAL (chronic airflow limitation) and COAD ( chronic obstructive airway disease), refers to emphysema and chronic bronchitis, both of commonly co-existing lung diseases where the person’s airways becomes narrowed.

The condition causes air flow limitation to and from a patient’s lungs resulting in shortness of breath. Doctors define Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by its specifically low lung’s airflow function analysis. Comparing to asthma, such limitation is poorly reversible and generally becoming worse over time. In England about 830,000 of fifty million people are diagnosed with COPD (about 1 person in 60) at one point of their lives. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is resulted from gas or noxious particles, usually from smoking of tobacco, which causes an abnormal lung inflammatory response. Such response in the person’s largest airways called chronic bronchitis diagnosed by doctor when patient frequently coughing up sputum. In Alveoli case, inflammatory response results in the lung tissues’ destruction, called emphysema.

The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) natural course is described as sudden occasional worsening of the person’s symptoms, known as acute Exacerbations, most of which resulted from air pollution or infections. The diagnosis of COPD is based on tests of the person’s lung function. The treatment consists of drug therapy (usually inhalers), cessation of smoking, rehabilitation, and vaccination. In some cases, patients require long term oxygen therapy or transplantation of lung.

This entry was filed under Diseases and Conditions.

Tags: chronic airflow limitation, chronic obstructive airway disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, lung diseases, lung tissues, obstructive lung disease