C15 - Respiratory Diseases Flashcards
What’s a pollutant?
A substance released into the environment or the environment itself.
E.g. Fungal spores or smoking regularly
What’s an acute condition?
One with a rapid onset but quick recovery time.
What’s a chronic condition?
One that develops more slowly but lasts a long time or is incurable.
What’s an allergen?
A substance that causes an allergic reaction
What’s a COPD?
A chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder
What is metastasis?
The spreading of cancer from one organ to another when a tumour breaks off and travels to another part of the body.
What’s asthma?
What causes asthma?
A COPD as a result of inflammation and narrowing of the bronchi in the lungs.
This is due to the muscle walls contracting in bronchioles tubes.
Allergens: pollen, dust, aerosols, nuts.
Inflammation
Inheritance
What are the symptoms of asthma?
Short of breath
Wheezing
Chest tightness
In the bronchi and bronchioles, mucus production increases, the smooth muscles contract and inflammation causes the swelling in the walls. This narrows the lumen, restricting air flow.
How can asthma be treated?
There’s no cure
Drugs, inhalers and bronchodilators can be given.
What is lung cancer?
What causes lung cancer?
When cells grow and divide uncontrollably forming a tumour caused by DNA mutations.
The mutations can be caused by smoking (90%) or carcinogens which spread from carcinomas and stop normal cell function.
What are symptoms of lung cancer?
Short of breath
Coughing (up blood)
Loss of weight
Wheezing
Sputum (music from the lungs) is likely to be stained with blood if the tumour damages lung tissue.
How is lung cancer treated?
Chemotherapy- using toxic chemicals
Radiotherapy- using gamma rays
Surgical removal
(Identified by X-ray and CT scans)
What are steroids?
(Corticosteroids) are a method of controlling asthma long term by reducing inflammation of the bronchi.
What are beta-agonists?
A method of treating asthma.
They are used before exercise or acute asthma attacks.
They act as bronchodilators and relax the smooth muscle, widening the lumen of the bronchi.
What’s chronic bronchitis?
What causes chronic bronchitis?
The narrowing of the bronchi.
It is caused by tar, a chemical released from cigarettes, which can be deposited in the airways of a smoker.
The tar causes inflammation, stimulates mucus production by goblet cel,s and paralyses cilia on ciliates epithelial cells.
The cilia are then no longer able to move mucus up the airways.
Mucus containing dirt and microorganisms builds up in the airways trapping bacteria and leading to an infection.
Mucus narrows bronchi and increases diffusion distance for oxygen and carbon dioxide.
What causes chronic bronchitis?
Smoking
It is caused by tar, a chemical released from cigarettes, which can be deposited in the airways of a smoker.
The tar causes inflammation, stimulates mucus production by goblet cel,s and paralyses cilia on ciliates epithelial cells.
The cilia are then no longer able to move mucus up the airways.
Mucus containing dirt and microorganisms builds up in the airways trapping bacteria and leading to an infection.
Mucus narrows bronchi and increases diffusion distance for oxygen and carbon dioxide.
What are the symptoms of chronic bronchitis?
Short of breath
Wheezing
Blood-stained sputum
Persistent cough producing excess mucus
Fatigue
How is chronic bronchitis treated?
No cure
Similar to asthma, steroids and bronchodilators are used.
What is emphysema?
What causes emphysema?
It is the breaking down of alveoli walls.
Many white blood cells are attracted to sites of infection in the alveoli due to the presence of bacteria filled mucus.
These phagocytes produce the enzyme ‘elastase’ which digests tissue to enable phagocytes to reach infections.
The elastase breaks down proteins such as elastin in the alveoli walls.
The inhibitor ‘AIAT’ which prevents this damage occurring in healthy people is deactivated in smokers.
This causes the alveoli to become enlarged, damaged and burst and the elastin is permanently stretched.
What causes emphysema?
Smoking which prevents the inhibitor ‘AIAT’.
Many white blood cells are attracted to sites of infection in the alveoli due to the presence of bacteria filled mucus.
These phagocytes produce the enzyme ‘elastase’ which digests tissue to enable phagocytes to reach infections.
The elastase breaks down proteins such as elastin in the alveoli walls.
The inhibitor ‘AIAT’ which prevents this damage occurring in healthy people is deactivated in smokers.
This causes the alveoli to become enlarged, damaged and burst and the elastin is permanently stretched.
How is emphysema treated?
No cure.
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are treated together as COPD with steroids and bronchodilators.
What are the symptoms of emphysema?
Short of breath
Shallow breaths
Barrel chest - muscles don’t contract well so lungs don’t fully open.
Wheezing
What medicines can be derived from plants?
What plants do they come from?
Quinine - Cinchona sp
Aspirin - sailx alba (willow)
Theophylline - theobroma cacao (cocoa)
Paclitaxel - taxis brevifolia (yew tree)
What are the properties and uses of medicines derived from plants?
Quinine - Fever reducing, painkilling and anti inflammatory. Used for anti malaria
Aspirin - Anti inflammatory, painkilling. Painkiller and anti-thrombotic
Theophylline - muscle relaxant, anti inflammatory. COPD and asthma treatment
Paclitaxel - inhibits mitosis. Anti-cancer drug
