Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease of the lungs that causes obstruction of the airways and results in a gradual decline in the function of the lung (Stark). COPD is typically a combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD has been around for a very long time, however, in previous decades it was called something else. In 1679 physician Bonet called it, ‘voluminous lungs’. In 1814 Charles Badham was the first person to refer to ‘catarrh’, meaning chronic inflammation of the mucus membrane.
COPD most commonly affects those who have been smokers or those who currently smoke. Along with those who have asthma, secondhand smokers, and people exposed to an environment …show more content…
According to the pharmaceutical company GlaskoSmithKline (GSK), the most common cause of COPD is smoking. Cigarette and other tobacco smoke causes 80-90% of all cases (COPD, 2016). Therefore, the primary prevention for this disease is to avoid cigarette smoke and/or to cease smoking if one is a current user. Other known causes of COPD are dust, chemical fumes, and air pollution (Explore, 2013). Prevention for these causes may be a little harder to avoid due to one’s work or living environment. For example, if someone lived in a city they might be exposed to more air pollution that someone who lived in a rural area. To best prevent these causes, individuals would want to take precautions such as wearing OSHA approved personal protective equipment at work and while working with chemicals, daily/weekly house cleaning, and avoiding as many lung irritants as possible. Once a patient has been diagnosed with COPD, preventions are used to slow down the progression of the disease (Explore, 2013). These preventions may also include flu and pneumonia vaccines (Explore, …show more content…
For example, the COPD Foundation offers resources to help a patient better understand their disease and how it works (COPD Foundation). This Foundation provides free healthy living articles that can help to manage symptoms of the disease and provides members emails that discuss COPD awareness as well as events for those with COPD. Additional resources include support groups that can be local or nationwide. These support groups provide COPD patients with the opportunity to discuss any questions they may have about their disease with other individuals who have COPD as
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease of the lungs that causes obstruction of the airways and results in a gradual decline in the function of the lung (Stark). COPD is typically a combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD has been around for a very long time, however, in previous decades it was called something else. In 1679 physician Bonet called it, ‘voluminous lungs’. In 1814 Charles Badham was the first person to refer to ‘catarrh’, meaning chronic inflammation of the mucus membrane.
COPD most commonly affects those who have been smokers or those who currently smoke. Along with those who have asthma, secondhand smokers, and people exposed to an environment …show more content…
According to the pharmaceutical company GlaskoSmithKline (GSK), the most common cause of COPD is smoking. Cigarette and other tobacco smoke causes 80-90% of all cases (COPD, 2016). Therefore, the primary prevention for this disease is to avoid cigarette smoke and/or to cease smoking if one is a current user. Other known causes of COPD are dust, chemical fumes, and air pollution (Explore, 2013). Prevention for these causes may be a little harder to avoid due to one’s work or living environment. For example, if someone lived in a city they might be exposed to more air pollution that someone who lived in a rural area. To best prevent these causes, individuals would want to take precautions such as wearing OSHA approved personal protective equipment at work and while working with chemicals, daily/weekly house cleaning, and avoiding as many lung irritants as possible. Once a patient has been diagnosed with COPD, preventions are used to slow down the progression of the disease (Explore, 2013). These preventions may also include flu and pneumonia vaccines (Explore, …show more content…
For example, the COPD Foundation offers resources to help a patient better understand their disease and how it works (COPD Foundation). This Foundation provides free healthy living articles that can help to manage symptoms of the disease and provides members emails that discuss COPD awareness as well as events for those with COPD. Additional resources include support groups that can be local or nationwide. These support groups provide COPD patients with the opportunity to discuss any questions they may have about their disease with other individuals who have COPD as