CBD is treatable, but not curable.

If loss of lung function is detected, treatment may involve taking corticosteroids (often just called “steroids”), a medicine that reduces inflammation. The most common type of corticosteroid prescribed for CBD is prednisone. If successful, treatment with steroids can slow the progress of CBD by reducing the buildup of scar tissue and delaying permanent lung damage.

However, many individuals do not respond well to treatment. Others cannot tolerate the side effects of long-term steroid treatment. Side effects of taking steroids for long periods of time can include slower healing of infections, calcium loss from the bones, higher blood cholesterol, and fluid and salt retention which can make heart or kidney disease worse. The right treatment for an individual must be considered in light of that person’s overall health and medical history.

Individuals with insufficient levels of oxygen in their blood as a result of CBD may also need supplemental oxygen to help improve oxygen delivery to the body and to protect the heart from the damage that can be done by low oxygen levels.

Individuals who cannot take steroids may continue to lose lung function. As a result they are likely to experience poorer quality of life, becoming invalids in some cases. Their life span may also be shorter.

Although the use of corticosteroids is the standard treatment for CBD, research is in progress on other drugs that may reduce the need for high doses of corticosteroids.

On the other hand, some individuals with diagnosed CBD may never become sick enough to require treatment.

SOME BERYLLIUM CHEMISTRY UNTYPICAL OF GROUP 2

This page describes and explains three examples from beryllium chemistry where it behaves differently from the rest of Group 2.

Beryllium chloride is covalent

The facts

Physical properties

Beryllium chloride, BeCl2, melts at 405°C and boils at 520°C. That compares with 714°C and 1412°C for magnesium chloride.

Notice how much dramatically lower the boiling point of beryllium chloride is compared with magnesium chloride. The much higher boiling point of magnesium chloride is what you might expect from the strong forces between the positive and negative ions present.

Because its boiling point is much lower, it follows that beryllium chloride can't contain ions - it must be covalent. On the other hand, the melting point is quite high for such a small covalent molecule. There must be something more complicated going on!