The Girl With Sthetoscope

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined as a disease state characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible (http://www.goldcopd.com/). It is the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing 3.23 million deaths in 2019. It is more prominent in low and middle-income countries.  It basically includes 2 diseases, Emphysema, and Chronic bronchitis. CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS: Cigarette smoking - Subsequent longitudinal studies have shown an accelerated decline in FEV1 in a dose-response relationship to the intensity of cigarette smoking, which is typically expressed as pack-years. Hyperresponsiveness of alveoli - A tendency for increased bronchoconstriction in response to a variety of exogenous stimuli, including methacholine and histamine, is one of the defining features of asthma. Dutch hypothesis suggests that asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema are variations of the same basic disease, which ...

 ASTHMA Asthma is a syndrome characterized by airflow obstruction that varies markedly, both spontaneously and with treatment. It is a major non-communicable disease, affecting both children and adults. It affected an estimated 262 million people in 2019 and caused 461000 deaths. It is the most common chronic disease among children.  CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS: Asthma develops due to interaction between various host and environmental factors.  The host factors are: Atopy (Type-1 hypersensitivity): Atopy is the major risk factor for asthma, and nonatopic individuals have a very low risk of developing asthma. Atopy is due to the genetically determined production of specific IgE antibodies, with many patients showing a family history of allergic diseases. The environmental factors include: 1) Allergens (Airborne)  2) Chemical  3) Irritants 4) Viral Upper Respiratory Infections 5) Physical Stress 6) Emotional Stress 7) Air pollution 8) Occupational Asthma 9...