COPD Essay

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“COPD kills 2.5 million people a year, according to World Health Organization estimates. It is currently the fifth leading cause of death in high-income countries like the U.S”(L. Chang,MD)
COPD is a lung diseases that is causes by an obstruction in the lung that make it difficult to breathe. COPD is weakens the airways and causes breathing problems this work as the air that is breathe goes down the windpipe into tubes in the lungs the bronchial tubes. The bronchial tubes branch into thousands of bronchioles tubes these are smaller tubes. These tubes end in bunches of tiny alveoli air sacs. Capillaries run through the air sacs walls the air move the air sacs as oxygen to stream the air sac walls into the blood back into the capillaries. When
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The medications help the lungs relax and open up to help breath. There are all kinds of medications bronchodilators this relax the muscles around the airways. Inhaled steroids to reduce airways inflammation. Phosphodiesterase four inhibitors this decreases airways inflammation. Then there is lung therapies for moderate or severe COPD patients there is oxygen therapy a constant use of an oxygen machine to help breath better it deliver oxygen to the lungs. Surgery to treat COPD a lung volume reduction surgery this is done by removing little wedges of damaged lung tissue so that there is more room inside the wall of the lungs they can expand and breathe efficiently. For severe life threatening there is a lung transplant. The targeted of COPD could be from good to bad or moderate to severe depending on the symptoms. COPD is a condition that never goes away it is a diseases to be live with. The general prognosis of COPD minimize symptoms for moderate or severe patients. Signs and symptoms coughing that won't go away. Short of breath when doing activity or exercise. A tightness in the chest. Testing for COPD pulmonary function test, chest x-ray, CT scan, arteriel blood gas

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