SDK125 Introducing health sciences - block 5

* Age - >35 yrs
* Cough - Persistant & sputum present
* Smoker - Common
* Breathless - Progressive and persistent
* Nocturnal - Not until later stages
* Family history - Uncommon
* Allergies - Possible

* Age - COPD risk increases as age increases
* Smoking - 10 years of smoking 20 packs of cigarettes increases the risks.
* Environment - Heavy industry results in COPD due to the fine particles produced by the manufacturing process.
* Education - Incidence in developing countries is high due to a lack of awareness of the disease

Emphysema - causes the walls of the alveoli to break down resulting in them being less elastic.

Chronic bronchitis - the airways become inflamed (and so narrow) and produce a sticky, thick mucus

* Bronchodilators - Dilate the airways allowing more air into the lungs.
* Corticosteroids - Suppresss the immune system which reduces inflammation.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a multi disciplinary approach aimed at teaching physical exercise and breathing exercises.

Elastase destroys the walls of the alveoli which in turn destroys the fine sponge like structure.

This reduces the elastic recoil. The airways thus collapse during expiration trapping air inside the enlarged spaces

Hypoxia occurs when part or all of the body is deprived of oxygen. Symptoms include:-
* Cyanosis (a blue tinge to the skin and nails)
* Headache
* Fatigue
* Shortness of breath
* Nausea
* Seizures

and eventually coma and death

sunlight + 6 O2 + C6 H12 O6

=
6 CO2 + 6 H2O

Too much acidity (low pH) of the blood is very dangerous as most of the chemical reactions only occur in neutral (pH7) conditions. If the pH drops below pH 6.8 acidosis occurs and many bodily functions become inhibited.

pH0 - pH6.9 = Acid
pH7 = Neutral
pH8 - pH14 =Alkaline