HLSC 2461U Lecture Notes - Cyanosis, Sputum, Bicarbonate
Document Summary
Smoking increases your risk for lung cancer but doesn"t cause it. Whenever we get a cold we get an obstruction of the airways but this is acute, in copd cases it is chronic, which can eventually lead to heart disease. Person with copd has an airway problem (can be reversible) and a pulmonary problem (irreversible most of the time) This all takes years to develop but we only start seeing it happen in the 50"s because of irreversible pulmonary disease. The first thing is that it injures epithelial cells in the bronchi. When cells get attacked they are injured and the epithelial cells have glands (secret mucous) that react to fight and protect. That"s why you see that the first thing that happens when you start smoking is that you start losing more secretions because this is a defense mechanism in the airway. Chronic smoking causes many of the cells to die. The danger is in the ones that adapt.
