The result of this is that the person cannot make use of as much air with each breath as they otherwise would, which often leads to symptoms that include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
X-rays may also reveal structural changes in the lungs or surrounding tissue. The diaphragm may appear flattened in the chest, for example.
This is also a result of hyperinflation, as the larger lungs push against the diaphragm, forcing it downward. These changes can be difficult to accurately diagnose, as a study of the different imaging techniques posted to the Journal of Thoracic Disease notes. Doctors may also identify bullae on the X-ray.
Bullae are pockets of air that may develop when emphysema damages lung tissue. These pockets of air grow and can take away usable space in the lungs, which can make correct lung function difficult. Doctors will usually plan to surgically remove bullae because they can be dangerous if left untreated.
The heart may change shape as COPD progresses. An X-ray in people with emphysema may reveal a narrow or elongated-looking heart muscle.
This may be partly because of the heart changing how it sits in the chest to make room for the expanding lungs. After examining an X-ray, doctors may request a computed tomography CT scan for a more comprehensive image to help in their diagnosis. An X-ray is a flat image of the area, and a CT scan creates a 3-D image. This allows doctors to check for issues, such as soft tissue damage, or to obtain a complete look of the organs without using invasive surgeries.
CT scans may also help doctors notice issues they might pick up much later on if relying solely on X-rays. Doctors will also need to test the function of the lungs and perform other tests. After reviewing the images from the X-ray and the results of other tests, doctors will use signs of lung damage or chronic infection to make a COPD diagnosis. Doctors will classify COPD into stages based on the progress of the symptoms that they see in the images and the result of the additional tests.
Chest X-rays expose the person to radiation, but they receive only a very small amount. Anyone who is pregnant should talk to their doctor before getting an X-ray, as they will need to take extra precautions.
To find out if small airways might be the culprit for COPD in people who did not smoke or have other risk factors, a team led by Smith looked at records for more than 6, older adults participating in three studies that included smokers and nonsmokers with and without COPD.
The association remained after considering standard COPD risk factors, including smoking, pollutants, and asthma. Never smokers with COPD had much smaller airways relative to lung size, whereas the heavy smokers who did not have COPD had larger than normal airways. Smith added that the findings may also help explain why some lifelong heavy smokers do not develop COPD. People with larger airways relative to lung size may be able to withstand lung damage from smoking and still have enough breathing reserve to prevent them from developing COPD.
Still, given the multiple health problems caused by tobacco, Smith emphasized that smokers should do their best to quit. Additionally, co-authors Norrina B. Allen, M. Couper, Ph. Dransfield, M. Martinez, M. The inflammation of the bronchial tubes makes the nerves in the lungs very sensitive.
In response to irritation, the body forces air through the airways by a rapid and strong contraction of the muscles of respiration—a cough. The rapid movement of air in the breathing tubes helps remove mucus from the lungs into the throat.
People with COPD often cough a great deal in the morning after a large amount of mucus has built up overnight smoker's cough. The lungs are where the blood picks up oxygen to deliver throughout the body and where it disposes of carbon dioxide that is a by-product of the body processes. COPD affects this process. Emphysema can lead to destruction of the alveoli, the tiny air sacs that allow oxygen to get into the blood.
Their destruction leads to the formation of large air pockets in the lung called bullae. These bullae do not exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide like normal lung tissue. Also, the bullae can become very large. Normal lung tissue next to the bullae cannot expand properly, reducing lung function. Chronic bronchitis affects the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange because the airway swelling and mucus production can also narrow the airways and reduce the flow of oxygen-rich air into the lung and carbon dioxide out of the lung.
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