Causes of Chronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease (COPD)
Emphysema: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease that attacks the trachea, then the bronchus, and finally, the alveoli. The major causes of COPD are:
Exposure to tobacco smoke: tobacco smoke destroys the lungs hence making it difficult for the lungs to pass out air. When the air sacs in the lungs are destroyed, it becomes difficult to breathe in and out. The alveoli, which are the air sacs, increase the surface area for gaseous exchange in humans. When they are destroyed, then the surface area for gaseous exchange is reduced, leading to difficulty in breathing that results in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The smoke from tobacco destroys the trachea, the bronchus, and the alveoli, which form part of the lungs that aid in gaseous exchange (Agusti, Alvar, Joaquim Gea, and Rosa Farner, 26) When these parts are destroyed, the breathing becomes impaired.
Asthma; is caused by allergens that cause the swellings in the respiratory tract. Asthma attack leads to the blockage of respiratory surfaces like the trachea, the bronchus, and the alveolus, reducing the efficiency of gaseous exchange (McDonald, Merry-Lynn N., et al. .100). If asthma is not treated, it may lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Allergens are things like perfumes, pollen grains cockroaches, and many other things that make the body react against in defense to their impacts even though they are not harmful to the body. Such reactions always affect the respiratory tract making it difficult to breathe.
Occupational exposure to dust and chemicals: certain types of soil destroy the lungs and make it difficult to breathe (McDonald, Merry-Lynn N., et al. .100). Other chemicals also tend to clog the respiratory surfaces making it difficult to breathe. When a person works in an area that has dust of grain and flour dust and chemical fumes for some time, that person is at a high risk of developing a respiratory disease like the COPD (Agusti, Alvar, Joaquim Gea, and Rosa Farner, 25) These clouds of dust and chemicals are dangerous and can destroy the respiratory surfaces of a person. Care needs to be taken for people working in such places to avoid getting sick due to the exposure to such dust and chemicals. As noted, COPD is the third killer disease in the US and should not be taken lightly. The disease’s continued increase means that it is unrelenting, and measures need to be put in place to control it.
Work cited
Agusti, Alvar, Joaquim Gea, and Rosa Farner. “Biomarkers, the control panel, and personalized COPD medicine.” Respirology 21.1 (2016): 24-33.
McDonald, Merry-Lynn N., et al. “It is more than low BMI: prevalence of cachexia and associated mortality in COPD.” Respiratory Research 20.1 (2019): 100.