COPD
The destructive forces that lead to the development of COPD usually take
many years before they become debilitating. There are conditions that will
increase the rate of deterioration. Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency is one
such condition. Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic disorder affecting
some 3% of the population.
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin is an protein in the lung which stops the action of trypsinase
another enzyme which regulates the actions of macrophages
which help to heal the lungs after an injury, such as smoking a cigarette.
Without enough antitrypsin in a person macrophages would be allowed to do
far more good than necessary essentially destroying tissue that didn't need
to be destroyed. The end result of this is that a lot of times instead of
developing COPD in the 60's or 70's COPD is developed in the 30's and 40's.
As of 2000 over 120,000 Americans die from COPD. As the 4 leading
cause of death it kills twice the number of people than automobile accidents
and aids combined. For most who have the disease it is the end result of smoking.
COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a non-reversible lung disease
marked by the destruction of lung tissue and an inability of the person with
this disease to exhale completely. It is a combination of two different conditions,
chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic bronchitis is a condition where
the breathing tubes of the person afflicted become inflamed, and an overabundance
of mucus is produced. Emphysema is a destruction of alveoli in the lungs.
The combination of these two conditions cause air to get trapped in the lungs.
After a period of time the patients loose the ability to exhale completely
and the lungs can become more easily infected. These infections increase mucus
production which in turn increases the amount of air trapped in the lungs.
A person with end-stage or severe COPD will be essentially always out-of-breath.
They will not be able to eat a meal, walk to the bathroom or even finish a
sentence with out becoming winded.
Most cases of COPD are caused by smoking. There are other factors involved.
Air pollution, asthma, and the number and severity of lung infections can
play a role. Genetics is an important in determining the severity of the disease.
There is is a genetic disease called alpha-1 antitrypsinase deficiency which
will make for the sufferers of this condition have COPD at a much earlier
age and much more severly. The rates of COPD among women has been rising at
a faster rate than men in recent years. Women now have more hospitalizations,
ER visits and deaths from this disease. It is no coincidence that the rate
of smoking among women has been rising at a greater rate compared to men since
the 1940's.
Since there is no cure for COPD treatment is based on lessening the effects
of flair ups or exacerbations of the disease.
Preventing COPD can be as simple not smoking.
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