are asthma and emphysema related
Researchers found asthmatic people were 12 times more likely to be diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than people without asthma. COPD is a group of lung diseases for which there is no cure. COPD causes permanent damage to the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. It includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, it is the four th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the world. Asthma is usually made worse by exposure to allergens, cold air, and exercise, while COPD aggravations are largely caused by respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and the flu. Emphysema is called an obstructive lung disease because airflow on exhalation is slowed or stopped because over-inflated alveoli do not exchange gases when a person breaths due to little or no movement of gases out of the alveoli. Emphysema changes the anatomy of the lung in several important ways. Researchers found that people with active asthma had a significantly higher risk of chronic lung diseases later in life. Compared to adults without asthma, adults with asthma were: 1  17 times more likely to be diagnosed with emphysema. 2  10 times more likely to develop symptoms of chronic bronchitis. 3  12.5 times more likely to develop COPD. Maybe they just want to make a distinction between the other kind of asthma and the asthma component of COPD. Mark Mangus: Your presumption is correct - - - the chronic asthmatic component is NOT the same as the reversible. Asthma you speak of having had long ago. When this tissue is damaged, these airways collapse, making it difficult for the lungs to empty and the air (gases) becomes trapped in the alveoli. Normal lung tissue looks like a new sponge. Emphysematous lung looks like an old used sponge, with large holes and a dramatic loss of “springy-ness” or elasticity. Asthma Linked to Increased COPD Risk. In the study, published in the July issue of Chest, researchers tracked a group of about 3,000 people who enrolled in the Tucson Epidemiologic Study of Airway Obstructive Disease from 1972 to 1973. I do agree that incompletely reversible Asthma is a component of COPD and it is indeed 'chronic' in nature. But I do not use, nor do I like the idea of using the label/name Chronic with regard to the asthma we include as a component of COPD. Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath due to over-inflation of the alveoli (air sacs in the lung). In people with emphysema, the lung tissue involved in exchange of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) is impaired or destroyed. Emphysema is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD (pulmonary refers to the lungs). Why Asthma and COPD Are Often Confused. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a general term that describes progressive respiratory diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD is characterized by decreased airflow over time, as well as inflammation of the tissues that line the airway. Asthma is usually considered a separate respiratory disease, but sometimes it’s mistaken for COPD. The two have similar symptoms. These symptoms include chronic coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), around 24 million Americans have COPD.
Yes