Did you have breathless while walking or climbing stairs? Or get tired quickly with little exertion or while performing daily chores? Most of us ignore and consider these as symptoms of weakness or ageing. Though, this is not the case always. With increased air pollution exposure and intake of passive smoke, our respiratory health has been compromised. And in some cases lead to non-communicable respiratory diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
In India, the inclination of the health burden of chronic diseases has been observed with time. Apart from tuberculosis, cancer, and communicable diseases, respiratory diseases like COPD have emerged as a threat to the living population. In India, COPD is the silent killer that affects 63 million people, which contributes to 32% of the world’s COPD burden.
In the last 10 years, COPD constitutes a major public health challenge in India. COPD receives little attention in comparison with other major diseases. About 328 million people suffered from COPD worldwide. It is the third leading cause of death across the globe and is estimated to become the leading cause of death in the coming years. This non-communicable disease is the burden and threat that causes nearly 12% of overall deaths in India.
According to the data, nearly 90% of COPD deaths occur in less than 70 years of age in low and middle-income countries. People often thought that COPD affects urban areas because of air pollution and smoking. However, the COPD burden is on the rise in rural areas as well due to exposure to smoke.
Know the symptoms of COPD?
COPD is a preventable as well as treatable lung disease. This lung disease affects both men and women.
In COPD, there is destruction in the airways of the lungs that causes limitation of airflow in the lungs. One can have difficulty in pushing air out of the lungs as well as in inhaling new air. Breathless and coughing with or without sputum are some of the common symptoms of COPD. One can have difficulty in walking and breathlessness and tiredness or exhaustion while performing daily activities.
Repeated chest infections, tightness in the chest, need to clear throat mucus in the morning are some of the signs and symptoms of COPD. These symptoms appear and reappear over a certain period of time. They get even worse and then subside but never disappear. COPD can be managed with treatment. However, if left undiagnosed or with limited treatment, these flare-ups can be life-threatening.
What Causes COPD?
The top cause of COPD is smoking whether you are an active smoker or exposed to passive smoke, you are at risk of suffering from COPD. Occupational exposure to chemicals, dust etc causes COPD.
Prolonged exposure to outdoor or indoor air pollution, smoke, and biomass fuel can trigger COPD symptoms. Poor growth during childhood can lead to respiratory infections. Asthma is also one of the causes of COPD.
Timely screening helps to reduce the burden of COPD
COPD is often left undiagnosed until the disease is advanced. Though, COPD is not curable. But early diagnosis and treatment help to slow down the progression of symptoms and reduce the chances of flare-ups.
The diagnosis of COPD is confirmed on the basis of typical symptoms and also with the help of a breathing test called spirometry. In this, your breathing ability is measured with a help of a small instrument.
This test measure the amount of air breathed out and breathe in. Spirometry helps to rule out the functioning levels of your lungs. Hence it is important to talk to your doctor for screening for COPD on the basis of risk factors, even if you don’t have symptoms.
Prevention is better than cure. Though, the medications help in improving the symptoms and reducing flare-ups of COPD. Several lifestyle modifications help to reduce the prevalence of COPD. It’s high time to quit smoking. Do breathing exercises regularly. It is important to stay indoors and wear masks to prevent inhalation of harmful fumes caused by air pollution.
While we all are aware of TB, asthma, and pneumonia, COPD has become a silent killer. Remember, that the healthy lungs are an integral part of our well-being. It is high time people should know about COPD symptoms, causes, diagnosis and timely management and treatment.
References :
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-(copd)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5921960/
Disclosure: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views of solely the author. DISCLAIMER: The content in this post is purely meant for educational purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice. One should consult their healthcare provider for any health-related information.
