From Our Partners
Rachel Hughes, RN | Humanacare
Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease:
The Basics
What Is COPD?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
aff ects many individuals across Alberta. According
to Alberta Health Services, COPD was the sixth
leading cause of death, but is expected to increase
to the third by this year. It is a progressive disease
of the lungs, where infl ammation and increased
mucus production cause obstruction of the airfl ow.
The two most common conditions that contribute
to COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Chronic bronchitis is a persistent cough that causes
infl ammation of the airways, overproduction of
mucus, and frequent infections. With emphysema,
the tiny structures in the lungs responsible for gas
exchange become increasingly damaged, so carbon
dioxide and oxygen exchange is impaired. COPD is
caused by continuous exposure to irritants, such as
cigarette smoke, over a long period of time. Those
with COPD have an increased risk of developing
many other serious health conditions, including lung
cancer. The following are risk factors that contribute
to the development of COPD: age over forty years, and
exposure to fi rst- and second-hand cigarette smoke,
chemicals, burning fuels, pollution, and dust. In order
to understand COPD, it is essential to fi rst have a
basic understanding of lung anatomy and physiology.
A Closer Look at the Lungs
Our lungs are the pair of organs in the thoracic
cavity (chest) that are responsible for our body’s
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The right
lung is made up of three lobes and the left lung is
made up of two lobes to allow space for the heart.
The rest of the respiratory system consists of the
50 | arta.net
COPD is caused
used
by continuous
us
exposure to
irritants, such
ch as
cigarette smoke,
moke,
over a long
period of time.
me.
trachea (windpipe),
e),
bronchi (tubes
connecting the lungs
ngs to
the trachea), bronchioles
nchioles
(smaller branches s of the
bronchi), and alveoli
eoli
(tiny sacs of air at the end of each bronchiole).
Each alveolus is covered with tiny blood vessels
(capillaries) and this is where oxygen and carbon
dioxide exchange occurs. There are approximately
six hundred million alveoli in our lungs, and since
they are spherically shaped, they provide a massive
amount of surface area for oxygen exchange —
comparable to the size of a tennis court! Air enters
our body through our nose or mouth, travels
through the trachea, passes through the bronchi and
bronchioles, and fi nally to the alveoli. Our alveoli
infl ate and expand when we inhale, and defl ate but
stay partially infl ated during exhalation. Our lungs
create surfactant — a lubricating fl uid containing
fatty proteins — which eases the infl ation of our
alveoli. Our lungs also create mucus to trap germs