The actor died this Wednesday, 21, at the age of 74, after months in hospital. He had been battling a chronic lung disease caused by smoking for two decades.
The actor Pedro Paolo Rangel died early this Wednesday, the 21st, at the age of 74, due to complications from a pulmonary emphysema🇧🇷 Rangel, hospitalized since October 30, suffered from a chronic lung disease caused by to smoke two decades ago, as he stated in May of this year.
Pulmonary emphysema is a degenerative disease caused by smoking and/or ingestion of toxins present in polluted air. It is characterized by tissue destruction of lungswhich makes the person unable to breathe efficiently.
“Pulmonary emphysema is part of an entity called chronic obstructive pulmonary diseasewhich we call by the acronym COPD, and it is generally related to cigarette consumption,” says José Pereira Rodrigues, pulmonologist at BP – A Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo.
According to the doctor, COPD usually leads emphysema and bronchitis, two conditions that go hand in hand🇧🇷 “There are people who have more emphysematous component and people who have more bronchial component”, he explains.
In addition to smokers, they are also in the risk group for the disease. people who work in factories who release many polluting gases and those who constantly live with smokers and are therefore passive smokers🇧🇷
Difference between bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema
Both pulmonary emphysema and bronchitis hinder gas exchange, which can lead to low blood oxygenation. In some cases, they can cause lung hyperinflation — when “old air,” which isn’t performing gas exchange, becomes trapped.
To explain the difference between the two diseases, the pulmonologist uses an analogy between the structure of the lung and a tree.
Tree branches, which carry gases, are like bronchi. The crown – where the leaves are located, responsible for gas exchange – is the region of the pulmonary alveoli, where emphysema occurs.
“When we speak specifically of emphysema, we speak of contact with toxic substances from inhalation that attack the gaseous exchange surface, the alveoli, causing a reduction of the exchange surface”, explains the doctor. “With this, less oxygen enters the blood and less carbon dioxide is eliminated from the lungs.”
Already in bronchitis, the tubes that connect the body to the alveoli are inflamed and therefore have a lower capacity to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Symptoms
People with pulmonary emphysema usually feel shortness of breath and tiredness, says the doctor. And those who have bronchitis tend to cough up phlegm and wheeze in their chest as they breathe.
“The phlegm caused by bronchitis can have various shades and thicknesses. The thicker and darker it is, the greater the bronchial inflammation,” he adds.
Treatment
OR pulmonary emphysema has no cure, but has a slow development. Therefore, the sooner the person discovers the disease and eliminates the causative agent, either by giving up smoking or by stopping working in a place where there is a risk of inhaling toxic substances, the better.
In some cases, doctors may prescribe bronchodilators to try to eliminate trapped air in the pulmonary gas exchange region, avoiding hyperinflation of the lung.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
