Introduction
Chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is characterized by a limitation of the airflow in the lung, which develops over time and is not totally reversible.
COLD is associated with a set of breathing-related symptoms:
- Chronic cough.
- Spitting or coughing mucus (expectoration).
- Breathlessness upon exertion.
- Progressive reduction in the ability to exhale.
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| The lungs are located in the chest cavity and are responsible for respiration. The alveoli are small sir sacs where oxygen is exchanged in the lungs. |
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The two major diseases in this category are emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which are covered in this report. Asthmatic bronchitis, the other major COLD, is a condition that develops when a person with asthma is exposed to irritants, such as smoking, and develops a chronic cough. [For more information, see Well-Connected Report #04, Asthma in Adults.]
Because smoking is overwhelmingly the cause of both emphysema and chronic bronchitis, they often develop together and frequently require similar treatments and approaches. As chronic bronchitis often coincides with emphysema, it is frequently difficult for a physician to distinguish between the two.
Emphysema
Emphysema is a disease marked by destruction in the alveoli, grapelike clusters of air sacs at the end of the smallest airways (the bronchioles) in the lung. It generally takes the following course:
- The walls of the alveoli become inflamed and damaged. Over time they lose elasticity and pockets of dead air (called bullae) form in the injured areas.
- These pockets impair the ability to exhale and normal working of the lungs.
- Inhalation, however, is not impaired and until the late stages of the disease, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels are normal.
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Click the icon to see an image of emphysema. |
Chronic Bronchitis
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