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Help for Seniors on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease Posted on Web
National Institutes of Health continues to build
NIHSeniorHealth.gov
Jan. 30, 2006 The Website produced by the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide useful information on
health specifically for seniors citizens continues to increase its
content. Today, NIHSeniorHealth.gov adds information about the diagnosis
and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the
fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
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Early detection and appropriate treatment of COPD
can slow the progression of the disease and help improve quality of life
and the way people live and work, says Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.,
director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which
developed the content for the COPD topic on the site.
There are many different types of treatment that
can help people with chronic lung disease. The new COPD topic on
NIHSeniorHealth is an excellent source of information that will benefit
older adults at risk.
COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and
emphysema, damages the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. (See
"About COPD" on this page) Additional topics coming soon to the site
include heart failure, falls and fractures, and clinical trials.
The disease information on this site is selected
because of its relevance to senior citizens, but it is not just content
that makes this a "senior-friendly site."
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About COPD |
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What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD)?
By
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a
lung disease in which the lung is damaged, making it hard to breathe. In
COPD, the airways-the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs-are
partly obstructed, making it difficult to get air in and out.
Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of COPD. Most people with
COPD are smokers or former smokers. Breathing in other kinds of lung
irritants, like pollution, dust, or chemicals over a long period of time
may also cause or contribute to COPD.
The airways branch out like an upside-down tree, and at the end of each
branch are many small, balloon-like air sacs. In healthy people, each
airway is clear and open, the air sacs are small and dainty, and both
are elastic and springy. When you breathe in, each air sac fills up with
air, like a small balloon, and when you breathe out, the balloon
deflates and the air goes out. (See the section,
"How Do the Lungs Work," for details.) In COPD, the airways and air
sacs lose their shape and become floppy. Less air gets in and less air
goes out because:
The airways and air sacs lose their elasticity
(like an old rubber band)
The walls between many of the air sacs are
destroyed
The walls of the airways become thick and inflamed
(swollen)
Cells in the airways make more mucus (sputum) than
usual, which tends to clog the airways.
COPD develops slowly, and it may be many years
before you notice symptoms like feeling short of breath. Most of the
time, COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged or older people.
COPD is a major cause of death and illness throughout the world. It is
the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the world.
There is no cure for COPD. The damage to your airways and lungs cannot
be reversed, but there are things you can do to feel better and slow the
damage to your lungs.
COPD is not contagious-you cannot catch it from someone else.
For more information of COPD
click here to National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
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The site is based on the latest research on
cognition and aging. It features short, easy-to-read segments of
information that can be accessed in a variety of formats, including
various large-print type sizes, open-captioned videos, and even an audio
version.
The site links to MedlinePlus, the National Library
of Medicines premier, more detailed site for consumer health
information. NIHSeniorHealth is a joint effort of the NLM and the
National Institute on Aging (NIA).
The agencies have stressed they are creating this
informational source to reach more senior citizens, who reportedly are
increasingly becoming Internet users. One survey reported 66 percent of
seniors on the Web are surfing for health and medical information.
Note: SeniorJournal.com has inserted a link to this
site in a frame window below. The site can be accessed through this window as
a test and sample of its usefulness. For a better view, however, seniors
should go directly to
www.nihseniorhealth.gov.
The NIA leads the Federal effort supporting and
conducting research on aging and the health and well-being of older
people. The NLM, the world's largest library of the health sciences,
creates and sponsors Web-based health information resources for the
public and professionals. The NHLBI supports research in diseases of the
heart, blood vessels, lung, and blood, and sleep disorders. All three
are components of the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) The
Nation's Medical Research Agency includes 27 Institutes and Centers
and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic,
clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the
causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For
more information about NIH and its programs, visit
http://www.nih.gov.
Below is the NIHSeniorHealth.gov site in a frame.
Readers can access the site live here to get a sample of its usefulness.
For better access, however, go to
www.nihseniorhealth.gov.
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