Other Lung Conditions: Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Lung Cancer
How does the development and progression of COPD (chronic bronchitis or emphysema) differ from some other well-known lung conditions like asthma, cystic fibrosis, and lung cancer? Read and learn about these respiratory conditions below, and share your experiences with us in the comments!
Asthma
Like COPD, asthma is characterized as an obstructive airway disease. But how do the conditions differ? For one, airflow limitation in asthma is typically a result of a flare-up, meaning outside of these symptoms, people with asthma are not usually short of breath. COPD causes some sort of airflow limitation all the time, so symptoms of it may always be present to some degree.
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a lung condition caused by a mutated gene, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein (CTFR). A flaw in this gene causes cells to make mucus that is too thick and sticky. This prevents mucus from properly lubricating tubes, ducts, and passages inside the body.
Lung cancer
In the case of cancer, affected cells abnormally multiply in the body. When this happens, the growth may become uncontrollable, causing lumps of cells that invade nearby tissues, resulting in tumors. Lung cancer is characterized by a malignant lump of cells, or tumor, in the lungs.
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