COPD Disease Analysis

The disease of the lungs, COPD, can be traced back to the 1600’s. It was the year 1679 when Swizz physician, Bonet, defined the disease as “voluminous lungs.” About a century later Italian anatomist, Giovanni Morgagni, termed cases of the lungs as “turgid.” A series of illustrations of the emphysematous lung putting forth the pathology of the disease was published by Baillie in 1789, thus emphysema was known to be a part of COPD early one (Mandal 2013). Over the years, Chronic Bronchitis became a major component linked to COPD. In 1814, British physician Charles Badham identified bronchiolitis and chronic bronchitis as disabling health conditions (Janchote 2013). He was the first person to refer to ‘catarrh,’ chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane (Janchote 2013). Physician and inventor, Rene Laennec, confirmed that there was a second major component linked to COPD in 1821, known as Emphysema. Rene Laennec is also the inventor of the stethoscope. …show more content…
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2010) estimates that 3 million people in the US have COPD, many of whom are unaware of it and remain undiagnosed. COPD is also now the forth in line to the leading causes of death in the US. Smoking is the most influenced factor of the disease. Devereux (2011) found that approximately half of people who smoke will develop some form of fixed airflow obstruction. Due to the harmful pollutants being inhaled, the overproduction of mucus results from a non-ciliated trachea. This soon triggers a non-stopping cough. Also, the alveoli in the lungs will become enlarged, making it difficult for one to breathe. General symptoms of the disease include constant coughing (“smokers cough”), shortness of breath, wheezing, and tightness in the chest. As research for treatments are still ongoing, such as oxygen therapy, surgery, and bronchodilators, COPD can be managed but not treated yet to its full