Pulmonary Medicine Health Channel

	Feature Article Illustrations for this article Click on an image below to enlarge Spirometry Respiratory system Show all 7 photos Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Definition Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. Most people with COPD have both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Alternative Names COPD; Chronic obstructive airway disease; Chronic obstructive lung disease; Emphysema; Chronic bronchitis Causes, incidence, and risk factors The leading cause of COPD is smoking. Between 15 - 20% of long-term smokers will develop COPD. Using tobacco for a long time causes lung inflammation and destroys air sacs in the lungs. (In rare cases, non-smokers who lack a protein called alpha-1 anti-trypsin can develop emphysema.) Other risk factors for COPD are: Exposure to certain gases or fumes in the workplace Exposure to heavy amounts of secondhand smoke and pollution Frequent use of cooking gas without proper ventilation Symptoms Cough Decreased exercise tolerance Shortness of breath (dyspnea) lasting for months to years Wheezing Some people, even those with severe COPD, have few or no symptoms. Signs and tests People with COPD may make wheezy air sounds, difficult-to-hear air sounds, or normal sounds when the doctor listens to them during an exam. In severe cases, a person with COPD can seem anxious and may breathe through pursed lips (the shape lips make when you whistle). During a flare of the disease, the muscles between the ribs contract while the person is breathing in (intercostal retraction) and the person will use other muscles to breathe. The number of breaths per minute (respiratory rate) may be high. A chest x-ray may show that the lung is expanding too much (hyperinflation). A chest CT scan may show emphysema. A sample of blood taken from an artery (arterial blood gas) can show low levels of oxygen (hypoxemia) and high levels of carbon dioxide (respiratory acidosis). The best test for COPD is lung function testing. Continue reading this article

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Pulmonary tuberculosis (9 Images) Average Rating: (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Pulmonary actinomycosis (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Pulmonary nocardiosis (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Pulmonary atresia (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Pulmonary atresia is an extremely rare form of congenital heart disease in which the pulmonary valve does not form properly. The pulmonary valve is a flap-like opening on the right side of the heart that allows blood to move to the lungs. In pulmonary atresia, a solid sheet of tissue forms where the valve opening should be. Because of this defect, blood from the right side of the heart cannot go to the lungs to pick up oxygen. Reviewer: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.; and Mark A Fogel, MD, FACC, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Radiology, Director of Cardiac MR, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.Date: 12/10/2007
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Pulmonary edema (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (3 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Coccidioidomycosis - acute pulmonary (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Coccidioidomycosis - chronic pulmonary (3 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Drug-induced pulmonary disease (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Diffuse interstitial lung disease (5 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Pulmonary hypertension (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Goodpasture syndrome (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Pulmonary valve stenosis (3 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Acute respiratory distress syndrome (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Acute mountain sickness (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Histoplasmosis - acute (primary) pulmonary (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Histoplasmosis - chronic pulmonary (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Parapneumonic pulmonary effusion (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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