Can you explain how Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis contributes to COPD?

Question

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Pneumonoultramicroscopic silicovolcanoconiosis

Answer 1

COPD is Chronic OBSTRUCTIVE Pulmonary Disease. There are only 5 obstructive diseases. Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, Asthma, Bronchiectasis, and Cystic Fibrosis. These are the only disease that can be called COPD. Someone with COPD will have decreased flows.

All other diseases are restrictive diseases. They will have decreased volumes. This disease, caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust usually found in volcanoes, would cause someone to have a restrictive disorder.

Most lung diseases have shortness of breath. So if you have an obstructive disease and a restrictive disease, it can compound to cause more shortness of breath as well as impaired gas exchange.

Answer 2

Pneumonoultramicroscopics ilicovolcanoconiosis? I think that's how you spell it. That's black lung disease, right? The cause of that disease is inhalant of volcanic debris. COPD(Chronic Bronchitis) is also a lung disease, but you see it more in older people. The most common cause of COPD is smoking, I think. I've never heard of Pneumonoultramicroscopis(...) causing COPD, unless one of the volcanic components that causes the first are in the cigarette.

Answer 3

A disease gotten from inhalation of diminative particles of silica or quartz.

Most lung ailments fall under the COPD umbrella. If it make it harder to breath then it is termed COPD

Answer 4

my husband has "black lung" disease from inhaling silica sand at his job he held for 15 years. he worked with aluminum oxide. he now has lost one lung, and a quarter of the other one. he never smoked, just worked his a.. off for a company that refuses to aknowledge his sickness was work related. (he was a sandblaster for 15 years)

Answer 5

matt a is most correct: obstructive diseases are those which make it difficult to breath the air out of the lung as opposed to restrictive diseases which make it harder to breath in. however either form is chronic. some lung (pulmonary) diseases are both obstructive and restrictive. any lung disease with an "osis" on the end of the name is likely restrictive and caused by the word in front of it. for instance silicosis, related to silica, asbestosis, related to asbestos, etc etc. some can get downright silly having names like black lung = coal miners dust, bagasstosis =sugar dust, redwoodosis, related to redwood dust.

the xray hall mark of obstructive disease is air trapping (dark lung fields from airtrappng),expanded chest wall, flattened diaphragm, and , maybe clubbing of the digits (nails). xray of restrictive is usually more whitish streaky, with some darkened areas. a full pulmonary function test, to include He dilution/N2 washout, and DLCO (carbon monoxide diffusion study) is necessary to determine the extent of ones lung involvement and to properly pigeon hole the problem.

smoking is not the cause of all lung diseases, although most people who smoke are usually the ones with lung problems, but they are also persons with jobs that could be related to the disease, for instance a brake factory worker who smokes and has silicosis, or asbestosis. many persons who never smoked have lung problems, just as many persons who smoked for decades never have lung or heart problem, like my mother who died of pneumonia. however smoking is just not cool nor healthy, and very addictive.

now your question. the underlying microscopic particles, whatever they were, damaged lung tissue over many years of exposure. the tissue would pretty much heal itself over and over, causing scaring; much like cutting your skin and having a scar when healed, that;s what leaves the whitish xray streaking. many years of this exposure leads to destruction of the elastic property of the tissue (pull up the skin on the back of your hand, see how it springs back into place). this elastic breakdown makes it harder for the lungs to stretch thus problems getting air in, volumes are decreased but flow in and out can be fairly normal. peculularly this is similar to obstruction diseases, only in that problem volumes are decreased but flows out are often decreased as well. that is why a pulmonary function test is necessary to differentiate which is the predominant problem. put that with the history and you get a diagnosis. treatment: about the same for both; usually supplemental oxygen, breathing meds to open up airways, some cardiac meds eventually, and oral meds of some sort for a variety of reasons. prognosis: irreversible. outcome: death from many complications

thats about all i can simply say while avoiding most medical terminology.