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Chronic Airway Obstruction
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce mucus. COPD progressively worsens, with everyday activities such as walking or dressing becoming difficult. While COPD is incurable, it is preventable and treatable. The two most common conditions of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis and they have been the two classic COPD phenotypes. Emphysema is defined as enlarged airspaces (alveoli) whose walls have broken down resulting in permanent damage to the lung tissue. Chronic bronchitis is defined as a productive cough that is present for at least three months each year for two years. Both of these conditions can exist without airflow limitation when they are not classed as COPD. Emphysema is just one of the structural abnormalities that can limit airflow and can exist without airflow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Centrilobular Emphysema
Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a Lower respiratory tract, lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces (Pneumatosis, pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the Alveolar wall, walls of the Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli and they replace the spongy Parenchyma#Lungs, lung parenchyma. This reduces the total alveolar surface available for gas exchange leading to a reduction in oxygen supply for the blood. Emphysema usually affects the middle aged or Old age, older population because it takes time to develop with the effects of tobacco smoking, and other risk factors. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic risk factor that may lead to the condition presenting earlier. When associated with significant airflow limitation, emphysema is a Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease#Subtypes, major subtype of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
