Chronic Obstructive Healthry Disease Case Study
By being able to study from the perspective of someone with the chronic illness might change the way we go about treating it. It is hard for us to fully understand what the patient with this disease is going through unless you have experienced it. Instead of treating signs and symptoms like dyspnea and hypoxemia, we can treat John or Jane. Being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a life changing event. After being diagnosed, the person may be experiencing a complex combination of emotions, such as fear, anger, and guilt ("A Guide To COPD: Support From Your Loved Ones A Necessary Component of Fighting," …show more content…
Estimates of the disease have varied from 7-19%. The estimated prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the United States is 10.1%. Although, it is believed that the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the United States is underestimated. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease usually goes undiagnosed for a long period of time, due to people not seeking treatment until the disease is in a later stage. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is more common in people over 40 years of age. It is also more common in men than women, but the rates in women have been increasing over the past few years. Early onset of the disease most likely represents a distinct genotype and is seen more in African Americans, females, and those with a maternal history of chronic obstructive pulmonary