AS level Biology Project

1. Chronic Bronchitis &
Emphysema
By: Willis Grade:11
Highfield Secondary School
2016-2017

2. COPD
 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of
obstructive lung disease characterized by long-term poor
airflow.
 The main symptoms include shortness of breath and cough
with sputum production.
 COPD typically worsens over time.
 Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are older terms used for
different types of COPD.

3. Chronic Bronchitis

4. What is Chronic Bronchitis?
 Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bronchial
tubes that results in excessive secretions of mucus into the
tubes, leading to tissue swelling that can narrow or close off
bronchial tubes.
 People with Chronic Bronchitis will eventually develop
Emphysema.

5. What is Chronic Bronchitis?
Bronchitis can either be acute or chronic.
 Acute Bronchitis is caused by a viral or bacterial infection and
is usually a short term illness
 Chronic Bronchitis results from irritation of the lining of the
bronchi and bronchioles by dust, fumes, atmospheric pollution
and most significantly, tars in tobacco smoke.
 Chronic Bronchitis causes excessive amounts of sticky mucus
to build up in the airways, restricting amount of airflow in and
out of the lungs.
 Results to breathing difficulties

6. Symptoms
Symptoms of Bronchitis:
 Inflammation of the mucous membranes of airways
 Excessive production of mucus from the goblet cells
 Damage to the cilia of the epithelium
 Accumulation of this mucus in the lungs
 Heavy coughs
 Build up of scar tissue on the bronchi and bronchioles
 Infections, such as pneumonia, caused by bacteria
accumulation

7. Symptoms

8. Symptoms
Symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis
 Heavy cough
 Sputum production
- The sputum may be yellow, green, white, or occasionally blood-tinged
 Shortness of breath (dyspnea) gradually increases with disease’s severity
 Wheezing ( a coarse whistling sound produced when airways are partially
obstructed)
Other symptoms:
 Fatigue, sore throat, and nasal congestion
When Exacerbation of Chronic Bronchitis occurs:
 Severe coughing with chest pain
 Cyanosis ( bluish/grayish skin coloration)
 Fever

9. What are the causes?
 The main cause is cigarette smoking
 Secondhand smoke
 Inhaled irritants, such as smog, industrial pollutants, and
solvents.
 Viral and bacterial infections
 Underlying disease processes, such as asthma and cystic
fibrosis

10. Diagnosing Chronic Bronchitis
 Chest X-ray
 Sputum ( mucus coughed up from the lungs, to be tested on
analyzing presence of bacteria
 Pulmonary Function Test ( checks for signs of asthma or
emphysema by measuring how well you’re able to breathe)
 CT scan, high resolution X-rays of the body from various angles

11. Treatment and Prevention
Medical Treatment
 Bronchodilator (for example: albuterol) medicine that opens
the airways in your lungs by relaxing the smooth muscles that
encircle the bronchi. Usually breathed in through an inhaler.
 Theophylline, an oral medication that relaxes the muscles in
your airways so they open up more, relieves breathing
difficulties.
 Steroids (example: prednisone) reduces the inflammatory
reaction and thus decrease the bronchial swelling and
secretions of mucus.
 Pulmonary rehabilitation, improve breathing and overall well-
being
 Supplemental oxygen therapy
 Over-the-counter (OTC) cough suppressants such as
dextromethorphan

12. Treatment and Prevention

13. Treatment and Prevention
Lifestyle Remedies
 Breathing in warm, moist air to ease coughs and loosen the
mucus in the airways
 Quit smoking immediately
 Physical activity to strengthen the muscle and help breathing

14. Treatment and Prevention
Preventions
 Not smoking and avoid second hand smoke
 Flu and pneumococcal vaccines to prevent repeated infections
 Avoiding air-borne chemicals and dust with appropriate masks

15. Emphysema

16. What is Emphysema
 Emphysema is a long-term progressive disease that gradually
damages the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, causing shortness
of breath.
 In emphysematous lungs the elastic fibers are damaged, when
air enters the alveolus stretch but are unable to recoil,
trapping old air, leaving no room for fresh one.
 Some alveoli may burst, creating one larger air sac that
reduces the surface area available for gas exchange.
 Bronchioles become inflamed and scarred leaving a narrower
lumen.

17. What is Emphysema

18. Symptoms
In Early Stages
 Slight breathlessness
In Later Stages
 Chronic cough
 Blue skin coloration
 Difficulty in breathing (shortness of breath)
 Wheezing
 Pursed-lip breathing ( the person pursed their lips, leaving
only small opening, then block the air flow when the exhale,
increasing the pressure in the collapsed airways, opening
them, allowing the trapped air to empty
 Develop “barrel chest”, distance from the chest to the back,
normally less that the distance side to side, becomes more
pronounce.

19. Symptoms

20. What are the causes?
 Cigarette smoking is the most dangerous behavior that causes
development of emphysema.
- Smoke causes mucous secretion to increase, decrease
ability to clear the secretions
- Mucous that builds up traps bacteria and other irritants
causing infection
- immune system releases destructive enzyme, leads to
loss of protein responsible for keeping the lungs elastic
 Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency cause inability to fight
destructive effects of trypsin when released in the lungs, lung
tissue slowly destroyed, decreasing the ability of the lungs to
perform appropriately
 Air pollution acts similar to cigarette smoking, causing
inflammation in the airways, leading to tissue destruction

21. What are the causes?

22. Diagnosing Emphysema
• Chest X-ray
• Lung Function Test
- involve having you breathe into a tube connected to a
computer or monitoring device that measure how much air your
lungs can hold, how quickly your lungs can expel air during
expiration, how much reserve capacity your lungs have for
increased demand.
 Lab tests (blood test for genetic disease evaluation, white
blood cell count, and arterial blood gas)

23. Treatment and Prevention
Medical Treatment
 Stop smoking
 Bronchodilating Medications
- Albuterol, Ipratropium bromide (Atrovent) for relatively
mild emphysema, Methylanthines ( theophylline) keeps air
passageways open.
 Steroid medications (decrease inflammation in the body)
 Antibiotics
 Supplemental oxygen

24. Treatment and Prevention
Surgery
 Lung Volume Reduction Surgery (LVRS). Removes small
wedges of damaged lung tissue, helps remaining lung tissue to
work more efficiently and improves breathing
 Lung Transplant

25. Treatment and Prevention
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
 Stop smoking
 Avoid other respiratory irritants
 Exercise regularly
 Protect yourself from cold air
 Prevent respiratory infections by getting flu and pneumonia
vaccinations
Prevention
 Not to smoke at all
 Getting vaccination to prevent respiratory infections

26. References
• http://www.healthline.com/health/copd/understanding-
chronic-bronchitis
• http://www.medicinenet.com/chronic_bronchitis/article.htm
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/emphysema/article_em.ht
m
• http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/emphysema/basics/definition/con-20014218

27. Thank You
Smoking Kills!