As every third Wednesday in November, today, the 16th, the World Day of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is celebrated, which seeks to “educate people about this type of disease and encourage better care policies in countries for people who suffer from it. And we try to add to this
But perhaps the most important thing is that this day helps to inform people who do not know that they are patients. And that there are many millions.
To the point that you may not even know that the Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in our country.
-
According to data from the (SEMI), 11.8% of those over 40 years of age suffer from this condition.
But the most worrying thing about this lung disease is its high percentage of underdiagnosis:
-
70% in men
-
80% in women.
As estimated by SEMI, there are more than 500,000 women in Spain with COPD who are not diagnosed.
The Dr. Belen Alonso Ortiz, coordinator of the SEMI COPD Group, explains that “the face of COPD is changing according to the different epidemiological studies in our environment (Europe and the US)”. And it is that:
-
“It presents significant differences: it debuts at younger ages and produces more symptoms.”
What types of COPD are there?
Depending on the degree of obstruction, it can be mild, moderate or severe. And consequently, it is presented in different ways:
- chronic bronchitis: inflammation and irritation of the bronchial tubes, which are what allow air to pass into the lungs.
- Emphysema. It is when the alveoli (small air sacs) inflate abnormally, their walls are damaged and breathing becomes difficult. It is an affectation that is found to a greater or lesser extent in all patients with COPD. People with emphysema experience fatigue even when they are at rest.
Symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
-
Dyspnea (lack of breath) during exercise, although it can also be present in everyday situations that do not require physical effort.
-
Chest tightness.
-
Wheezing (wheezing when breathing).
-
Chronic cough.
-
Very frequent respiratory infections.
-
Weight loss for no obvious reason.
-
Swelling of the extremities: feet, ankles and legs.
Therefore, “it is important to recognize the discomfort caused by diseases that cause COPD, and see a doctor for help.”
Tobacco, the main cause of COPD
As the specialist points out, “more and more women are admitted to the hospital ward (or wards) with COPD and at younger ages than men”.
However, even today the profile of people admitted to Internal Medicine is:
-
Man.
-
Over 80 years old.
-
And with various comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure or kidney disease.
He smoking It is the main risk factor for developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and, in addition, it can cause other associated pathologies such as cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases. There are also other causes that increase the chances of suffering from COPD:
-
“Exposure to the combustion of biomass (firewood and others), environmental pollution in large cities or passive smoking”.
How it is detected
It is the test that is performed to diagnose COPD. Through a mouthpiece, the patient will have to blow into a device that is connected to a computer to measure the amount of air that comes out of the lungs, its force and the speed with which it does so.
COPD patients should avoid sudden temperature changes, exposure to cold, or living with infectious patients
It is the only way to know if there is any type of difficulty in the entry or exit of air from the bronchi.
To carry out this test it is necessary:
-
Do not smoke in the hour prior to the medical appointment.
-
Avoid consuming stimulant drinks in the 6-8 hours prior to spirometry.
-
Fasting is not required.
-
Notify healthcare personnel if you have needed to use an inhaler due to symptoms such as choking or coughing.
-
Go with comfortable clothes.
COPD treatment
Many of the patients diagnosed with COPD have a mild disease.
The pulmonologist is in charge of its diagnosis and the corresponding treatment. And the first step that must be taken, without wasting a minute, is to abandon the toxic habits like tobacco.
-
“It is very clear what not to do: smoking or breathing highly polluted environments”
And what should be done, and it is very important, is to prevent an infection from appearing in the already affected area. To do this, as detailed in:
-
“Sudden changes in temperature must be avoided
-
Do not expose yourself to the cold
-
Do not live with infectious patients”
The doctor can also prescribe drugs “that open the airway. what we call bronchodilators”. And since the quality of life of patients can be affected by the disease itself, it is important to take extreme precautions.
Therefore, it is recommendedget flu and pneumococcal vaccines“, So…