A number of individuals might not be acquainted with COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is a lung disease which comprises of chronic bronchitis and emphysema and can have a damaging impact on the lungs. COPD garners fourth position as the principal reason for fatalities in the United States. Those with the condition could develop inflammation or damage to the airways thus making breathing harder. In majority of the cases, smoking is the main cause of COPD. COPD is no glam disease and the most apparent symptoms are incessant, scything cough. Several celebs suffering from this condition – majority of them developed it as a result of smoking and have via their eminence, garnered alertness to this grave and life-menacing condition. Amy Winehouse During 2008, the twenty-four  [...]

Pulmonary fibrosis is referred to as lung scarring that develops due to several conditions inclusive of acute inflammation conditions (such as sarcoidosis), environmental-related causes (such as being exposed to silica, some gases or asbestos), being exposed to ionizing radiations (like radiation therapy for treating trunk tumor formations), acute conditions like RA, lupus, some infections, and a number of medications like methotrexate, nitrofurantoin. Due to a condition called as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, lung fibrosis could arise subsequent to an augmented immune response to inhalable organic dust particles or work-related chemical substances. The condition would frequently result due to inhalation of dust that has bacteria, fungus or animal produce contaminations. For instance people  [...]

Black lung disease is a broad term for any kind of lung disease that develops as a consequence on coal dust inhalation. Black lung disease got the name due to the condition causing lung blackening rather than the normal pink color. It is a form of pneumoconiosis known as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis. There are duo types namely: simple that is called as CWP or coal workers’ pneumoconiosis and complicated called as PMF or progressive massive fibrosis. The coal dust inhaling and accruement inside the lungs raises the chances of chronic bronchitis or emphysema arising. Coal dust could additionally raise the chances of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) arising. Causes of Black Lung Disease: The inhaling and accruement of coal dust is causal to CWP which is a result of work related  [...]

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis or LAM lung disease is an atypical lung condition which has a tendency of affecting females in their reproductive years. LAM lung disease causes the muscle cells which line the blood vessels and air passages of the lungs to irregularly multiply. Such muscle cells then start spreading to regions of the lung where they are not supposed to be present. Moreover swelling in the air sacs develop which leads to the formation of tiny pockets known as cysts developing all throughout the lungs leading to respiratory difficulties analogous to emphysema. These muscle cells could start spreading beyond the lung and form non-malignant tumors on the pelvic and abdominal organs. Lymphangioleiomyomatosis causes: Reasons for LAM arising are still unclear though estrogen does  [...]

Acute Respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS is a progressive, life threatening disease that occurs when the lungs face damage to an extent that it cannot function normally leading to abrupt problems in breathing and quick lung failure. Those that are diagnosed with ARDS have patchy specks on their chest X-Rays. ARDS also known as non-cardiac pulmonary edema, acute lung injury and increased permeability pulmonary edema is also known to affect children as young as one year and onwards. ARDS Causes: ARDS could arise due a serious damage or intense inflammation that causes significant extent of damage to the blood vessels present in either one or both of the lungs resulting in the lungs being incapacitated. Due to this, the lungs are incapable of being filled with air and cannot move adequate  [...]

Smoking besides being the single most leading cause of Emphysema, the other main cited cause is due to deficiency of the alpha-1 antitrypsin protein. Though, this is a small reason that leads to emphysema in comparison to smoking. The Alpha-1 antitrypsin or AAT is an innate protein that circulates within the blood stream. Its key task is to stop the WBC or white blood cells from causing damage to the normal tissues present. The constituents of the white blood cells are destructive in nature employed to combat infections that might crop up in the body. In a certain populace conceivably one lakh individuals in the United States are believed to have a hereditary condition which causes their bodies to have alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Deficit levels of AAT in the blood stream allow the  [...]

Emphysema is a type of long-standing lung disease that leads to breathing distress due to a restriction in blowing air out. Emphysema is the main form of COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused due to several reasons, with smoking being the most prevalent cause. There is no evident cure for emphysema hence, smoke cessation helps decrease the rate at which the emphysema spreads. Emphysema occurs due to the irreparable damage to the fine linings of the air sac present in the lungs. Generally, the toxic components present in cigarette smoke leads to eventual damage over the years leading to emphysema. The deterioration is a gradual process wherein initially the delicate tissues present in between the air sacs get obliterated with air pockets forming in the lungs. This leads to  [...]