Definition: The term “chronic” is used to describe an illness, condition, or disease which has a long duration, continues for a long period of time, or lingers for some time.
The opposite of “chronic” is “acute”.
Source: Tuberculosis by Diane Lancey
Examples: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a lung disease which develops over a long period of time and continues to linger throughout a person’s lifespan.
Definition: Chemotherapy is the treatment of a disease using specific chemical agents or drugs.
Chemotherapy, when used for treating Lung Cancer, can be done preoperatively to reduce the size of the tumor(s) and kill microscopic cancerous cells prior to surgery. It can also be done postoperatively to kill any cancerous cells that may remain after surgery. Chemotherapy can also be used as a sole means of treatment or in conjunction with radiotherapy when surgery is not an option.
When chemotherapy is used in conjunction with surgery, it is called adjuvant chemotherapy. Its only purpose is to increase the success of surgery when surgery is used as a tool to cure the lung cancer.
Source: Tuberculosis by Diane Yancey and Lung Cancer by Lorraine Johnston
Also Known As: Cytotoxic therapy
Examples: One side effect to chemotherapy is hair loss
Definition: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a common by-product produced when fossil fuels are burned. It is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that, at high levels, can cause death when inhaled. The CO enters the bloodstream, depriving the organs and tissues of oxygen (O2). When the body is deprived of oxygen, cells begin to die; death quickly follows.
Also Known As: CO
Definition: A bullectomy is a surgical procedure whereby small portions of the lung, called bulla, are removed. Bulla are large areas (> 1 cm in diameter) in the lung filled with oxygen-depleted air. A bullectomy allows functioning alveoli, in the vicinity of the removed bulla, more room to expand and contract, thereby allowing for better breathing.
Published: 02/18/06
Sources: University of Piitsburgh, Medical Center (UPMC); University of California at San Francisco (UCSF)
Definition: Bronchoscopy is a diagnostic procedure in which a pulmonologist inserts a bronchoscope into the trachea, main stem bronchi, and some of the small bronchi. This procedure is typically used to take samples (biopsy) of suspicious lesions and for culturing specific areas of the lung.
A bronchoscope is a flexible tube less than 1/2 inch wide and about 2 feet long. It has a tiny camera on the end.
Definition: Bronchodilators are prescription medications used to relax the smooth muscles of your constricted airways. When the smooth muscles relax, the airways dilate (widen), making it easier to breathe and cough up sputum.
Bronchodilators are inhaled through a device called an inhaler or “puffer” that delivers a measured dosage of medication with each puff.
The history of bronchodilators goes back 4000 years to a Chinese doctor named Ma Huang, who devised a bronchodilator using Ephedra. The first modern-day bronchodilators, developed about 70 years ago, included ephedrine and adrenaline. Prior to that, whisky, caffeine, tobacco, and chloroform were used to treat paroxysms of the bronchial tubes.
Definition: Bronchoconstriction is a condition typically found in asthmatics. When a reaction to a stimulant occurs, the smooth muscle that surrounds the airways in the lungs contracts or tightens, narrowing the airways and blocking the flow of air. Inflammation of the airways increases the narrowing, making it very difficult to breathe. This bronchoconstriction and inflammation typically leads to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Definition: The bronchioles are very small airways that extend from the bronchi to the alveoli. The bronchioles are made up of smooth muscle cells and are smaller than 1 millimeter in diameter. The bronchioles do not have glands or cartilage. The epithelial cells of the bronchioles are cuboidal in shape.
Sources: training.seer.cancer.gov and wikipedia.org
Definition: Asbestos is the name given to the group of naturally occurring minerals that have strong, flexible fibers that can easily be manipulated.
Asbestos became popular because of its strength, fire and corrosion resistance, and insulation capabilities.
When mined and processed, asbestos takes on the form of minute fibers that are invisible to the naked eye; these fibers are 1,200 times smaller than a strand of human hair!
Concentrations of asbestos increase when materials containing asbestos are cut, ripped or sanded. And because asbestos fibers are so minute, they can remain in the air for hours once released. Once asbestos fibers become airborne, they can be inhaled into the respiratory tract. This inhalation can cause such serious illnesses as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, as well as other cancers.
It is critical to hire professionally trained contractors to properly remove asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos has been used for many industrial products, such as insulation, cement, and shingles.
Source: epa.gov
