COPD is the 4th leading killer but there is not much awareness of the condition

Smoking is the main cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary, disease - COPD. It is also known as chronic obstructive airway disease, chronic airflow limitation and chronic obstructive lung disease. The condition is associated with emphysema, chronic bronchitis (excess mucus in large airways) and obstructive bronchitis (small airway obstruction, inflammation and fibrosis). The early stages of COPD are asymptomatic but severe cases can lead to death. Changes in chest shape can result from the body trying to cope with lung inefficiency. COPD occurs in 9.3 males per thousand population and 7.3 females per thousand population. It is the 4th leading cause of death in the world and is expected to become the third by 2020. A person should be assessed for COPD if they are over 50 and have a history of shortness of breath (dyspnea) and coughing. Dyspnea can occur many years after smoking has been stopped. Quitting smoking is the most important way to prevent COPD. Changes in chronic coughing or a new cough should be evaluated. Coughing usually starts in the morning and as the condition worsens, it occurs for longer periods during the day. Inflammation of airways can also cause mucus build up leading to sputum production during coughing. Another symptom of severe COPD is cyanosis which is where a poor oxygen supply due to lung impairment causes the skin, lips and nailbeds to become bluish. Hemoptysis (caused by effortless wheezing at night) in a person with COPD can cause blood to be coughed up or it may even be a symptom of lung cancer. Asthmatics are 12 times as likely to develop COPD. The nighttime wheezing may be confused with asthma but wheezing associated with asthma responds to drugs whereas wheezing associated with COPD doesn't. Risk factors for COPD include smoking, genetic factors, premature birth, deficiency of antioxidants (Vitamin A, C and E) in diet, exposure to vehicle fumes, industrial pollution and bacterial or viral infection in young children. It is estimated that biomass fuels contribute to 40,000 deaths annually (WHO). Diagnosis involves assessing medical history, physical condition and pulmonary function tests. Treatment involves using drugs such as bronchodilators and oxygen supplementation. Surgery may also been done to remove the damaged portion of the lung or a lung transplant may be performed. Experts want more awareness of the condition, its symptoms, its prevention and its treatment

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Red Nova

Related Disease Topics:

• Smoking
• Chronic obstructive airway disease
• Chronic airflow limitation
• Chronic obstructive lung disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• COPD
• Lung cancer
• Asthma
• Bacterial infection
• Viral infection
• Bronchitis

Related Symptom Topics:

• Emphysema
• Chronic bronchitis
• Obstructive bronchitis
• Airway inflammation
• Airway fibrosis
• Shortness of breath
• Dyspnea
• Cyanosis
• Bluish skin
• Bluish lips
• Bluish nailbeds
• Hemoptysis
• Wheezing coughing
• Mucus production
• Sputum production
• Coughing up blood

Article Source Details

About: COPD is the 4th leading killer but there is not much awareness of the condition

Date: 13 December 2004

Source: Red Nova

Author: Ruslina Yusoff

URL: http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=110679

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Death
• Pollution
• Lung transplant
• Surgery
• Surgery and lung disease
• Lung disease
• Death from chronic obstructive airway disease
• Death from chronic airflow limitation
• Death from chronic obstructive lung disease
• Death from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• COPD
• Risk and lung cancer
• Risk and asthma
• Risk and bacterial infection
• Risk and viral infection
• Risk and bronchitis
• Cause of bronchitis
• Cause of emphysema
• Cause of chronic bronchitis
• Cause of obstructive bronchitis
• Cause of airway inflammation
• Cause of airway fibrosis
• Cause of shortness of breath
• Cause of dyspnea
• Cause of cyanosis
• Cause of emphysema
• Cause of chronic bronchitis
• Cause of obstructive bronchitis
• Cause of airway inflammation
• Cause of airway fibrosis
• Cause of shortness of breath
• Cause of dyspnea
• Cause of cyanosis
• Cause of bluish skin
• Cause of bluish lips
• Cause of bluish nailbeds
• Cause of hemoptysis
• Cause of wheezing coughing
• Cause of mucus production
• Cause of sputum production
• Cause of coughing up blood
• Underdiagnosed and smoking
• Underdiagnosed and chronic obstructive airway disease
• Underdiagnosed and chronic airflow limitation chronic
• Underdiagnosed and obstructive lung disease
• Underdiagnosed and chronic obstructive pulmonary
• Underdiagnosed and COPD
• Underdiagnosed and lung cancer
• Underdiagnosed and asthma
• Underdiagnosed and bacterial infection
• Underdiagnosed and viral infection
• Underdiagnosed and bronchitis
• Underdiagnosed and emphysema
• Underdiagnosed and chronic bronchitis
• Underdiagnosed and obstructive bronchitis
• Underdiagnosed and airway inflammation
• Underdiagnosed and airway fibrosis
• Underdiagnosed and shortness of breath
• Underdiagnosed and dyspnea
• Underdiagnosed and cyanosis
• Underdiagnosed and bluish skin
• Underdiagnosed and bluish lips
• Underdiagnosed and bluish nailbeds
• Underdiagnosed and hemoptysis
• Underdiagnosed and wheezing coughing
• Underdiagnosed and mucus production
• Underdiagnosed and sputum production
• Underdiagnosed and coughing up blood

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