Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Lung Disease

Paper Summary:

The paper offers a definition and description of chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease (COPD). The paper looks at the causes, symptoms, conventional diagnosis, transmission, prognosis and prevention of the disease. The paper seeks to highlight how COPD has long-term and frequently deadly consequences for those who refuse to engage in a healthy lifestyle.

From the Paper:

"The online MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia defines Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary (Lung) Disease (also known as COPD) as a group of lung diseases which cause swelling of the airways; the same source then lists Emphysema and "chronic bronchitis" as two of the most common forms of COPD (sec.3). To expand upon the last sentence a little more fully, the National (U.S.) Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Lung Disease as being, fundamentally, a progressive state of airway constriction and obstruction that ultimately leads to dramatically reduced lung function - even fatally reduced lung function (1-2). To summarize, Chromic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease may best be described as an incurable and progressive disease that attacks the pulmonary capacity of the lungs; in particular, the disease either (in the case of chronic bronchitis) causes mucus build-up in the bronchial tubes or (in the case of emphysema) sufficiently irritates the alveoli that they become "stiff" and unable to hold air - thereby ensuring that the body is not taking enough oxygen into it at the same time as it cannot get rid of unwanted carbon dioxide (American Academy of Family Physicians, para.1-4)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Academy of Family Physicians. "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)." Familydoctor.org. Oct. 2005. American Academy of Family Physicians. 31 Oct. 2006 <http://familydoctor.org/706.xml>
• Barrett, Antony. "Smoker's Gene." The Observer: UK News. 2 Jan. 2005. Guardian Newspapers Limited. 31 Oct. 2006 <http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1382068,00.html>
• Kaufman, David. "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease." Medline Plus: Trusted Health Information for You. 3 May 2005. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (United States Department of Health and Human Services). 31 Oct. 2006 <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000091.htm#Definition>
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease." NHLBI: Data Fact Sheet. Mar. 2003. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). 31 Oct. 2006 <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/other/copd_fact.pdf>
• United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Indicator: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mortality (080)." N.d. EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency. 31 Oct. 2006 >http://www.epa.gov/ncea/ROEIndicators/pdfs/COPDPREVMORT_FINAL.pdf>

More papers on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Lung Disease:

• Analytical Essay # 130287 : "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Lung Disease"
• Term Paper # 108298 : "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease"
• Research Paper # 111915 : "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: