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How does chronic obstructive pulmonary disease make breathing difficult?
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The routine monitoring of blood pressure levels is an important part of assessing an individual's health. Blood pressure provides information about the amount of blood in circulation and about heart function and thus is an important indicator of disease.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) makes breathing difficult primarily by causing flow limitation, which is a significant difficulty in exhaling. This condition is characterized by two main pathological processes that obstruct the airways:12
- Emphysema: The destruction of lung tissue leads to the loss of elastic fibers in the alveoli. This causes the lungs to over-expand within the chest, which compresses the small bronchi and increases resistance to airflow, particularly during expiration.3
- Chronic Bronchitis: This involves inflammation and an increase in the size and number of mucous glands in the airways, leading to excessive mucus production. This buildup further obstructs the passage of air.14
Together, these changes result in increased lung volume and a reduced ability to move air out of the lungs efficiently. As the disease progresses, these obstructions can lead to disturbances in gas exchange, causing a decrease in blood-oxygen levels and an increase in carbon dioxide levels, which manifests as persistent breathlessness.14