Heavy Smoking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Heavy Smoking - Assignment Example This chronic condition makes breathing complicated to the victims or the patients. The forms of COPD can involve either lasting coughing with mucus or damage of the lungs over a given period. Exposure to air pollution and stuffy places like bars and bus stations, especially by the older people, for long hours or years can increase the prevalence of the disease in the body. Although the disease can be diagnosed and preventable by qualified doctors, the causes, prognosis, consequential requirements and social life of the victims might be at risks if not avoided at initial stages. Exposure to harmful fumes Mr. L, a bartender, suffers from the condition because he has been exposed to this situation for 40 years. Firstly, despite Mr. L being a heavy smoker, he also works in a bar where patrons smoke at all the times exposing his health to even greater healthy risks. At age 55, the lungs cannot fight the chronic damage caused through engulfing of the respiratory organs. This is further inf luenced by the air pollution created at the bus terminus by the city buses that he commutes in on a daily basis. The difficulty experienced when he walked past the three blocks is because he used respiratory gases at high rates of breathing, which caused the dilapidated walls of the lung to become narrow. This makes the situation challenging to Mr. L to access enough energy that can enable him walk on the dusty blocks. This, therefore, results from the excess unpurified air that he inhales from the bus terminus through to the dusty blocks and finally the smoke particles consumed from the cigarettes. The combination of the different unpurified gases accumulate in the lungs causing difficulty in breathing and insufficient supply of energy and gases to the heart, which leads to fatigue prompting him to rest (Falvo, 2009). Causes, incidence, and risk factors Smoking is the primary cause of COPD to Mr. L. The further the individual smoked, the more he developed COPD. However, some indivi duals smoke for years and never acquire COPD. In exceptional cases, nonsmokers who are exposed to smoking conditions and lack a protein called alpha-1 antitrypsin can also acquire the disease. Additionally, contact to certain combination of gases or fumes in the workplace such as bars and industrial places are risky. Exposure to grave amounts of secondhand smoke and toxic waste also increased the disease. Lastly, recurrent use of cooking fire with no appropriate ventilation makes the gases to cover the room, which the cook will inhale while in that kitchen (Falvo, 2009). Signs and Symptoms COPD condition is indicated by constant cough, with or without mucus, fatigue (that occasioned Mr. L to rest near the three blocks), multiple respiratory illnesses, and shortness of breath (dyspnea) that gets terrible with mild activity or difficulty catching one's gulp of air and panting. The symptoms of COPD develop gradually; some people might not recognize that they are sick. Expectations (pro gnosis) COPD is a lasting (chronic) illness. The infection will get dreadful more rapidly if one does not quit smoking. Victims with severe COPD may be short of breath with nearly all activities and might be hospitalized more regularly. These patients ought to consult qualified doctors about breathing equipment and end-of-life care (Falvo, 2009). Treatment In order for Mr. L to remain in his career, he should adopt preventive measures such as persons with COPD have to stop smoking. This is the finest way to slow down the lung destruction. However, medication alternatives can also be applied to treat COPD, for instance, use of inhalers (bronchodilators) to unlock the airways, such as ipratropium (Atrovent) and albuterol. The patient can also