Frontier Lifeline Hospital conducts a smoking cessation campaign to spread knowledge about the disease
Difficulty in breathing need not be due to asthma. It could be due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a condition in which the lung function is irreparably damaged.
Chest physicians and pulmonologists advise spirometry tests to find out if the patient has asthma or COPD. While asthma is curable, COPD is not, says R. Narasimhan of Respiratory Research Foundation of India.
The theme for this year's COPD Day observed on Wednesday was ‘Know your lung health'. As part of the day, Frontier Lifeline Hospital, Mogappair, conducted a smoking cessation campaign to spread knowledge about the disease. COPD is a progressive condition which damages the lung severely over a period of time.
K. Madhu, consultant pulmonologist at the hospital, said 80 per cent of the 60 patients who volunteered to be tested had a history of smoking and at least 60 per cent of them were found to have some abnormality in lung function.
Though smoking is the major cause of COPD, rapid industrialisation and vehicular emission had impacted the lung health of even those not exposed to smoke of any kind, he said.
“According to the World Health Organisation, COPD is the fourth most common cause of death. Pulmonologists have found that only around seven per cent of COPD patients are smokers. We have to look at non-potential victims such as women who work in ill-ventilated kitchen,” he said.
Pulmonologists use broncho-dilators to test the patient's lung capacity. “Often patients may mistake breathing difficulty to have been caused by heart problem whereas it could be due to COPD,” Dr. Madhu says.
The complications include breathing difficulty which could affect the heart, putting a patient at risk for heart attack or heart failure. Diabetes worsens the condition leading the patient to develop stroke. Inevitably patients are malnourished and develop sleep disorders. The patient need help to do their daily activities.
Dr. Narasimhan said quitting smoking, taking up physiotherapy and respiratory exercises have a therapeutic effect.
“The lung is damaged by oxide radicals. Though anti-oxidant drugs are available a diet of apples, nuts and dates that are rich sources of anti-oxidants will help slow down further damage to the lungs,” Dr. Narasimhan says.
It is necessary to prevent infection by avoiding exposure to cold and dust. Prophylactic vaccines for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines once in five years and use of inhalers to prevent severe broncho-spasms are advised, he adds.
Keywords: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD, asthma, lung health, Frontier Lifeline Hospital, smoking
India's top most priority should be Pollution Control and modern Sewage Plants- NOT the Nuclear Power Plants! The developed nations are phasing out the nuclear plants and migrating to alternative source of energy like solar etc. India's tax payer money should be best utilized to improve the quality of life for the people of India.
India is degenerating in to a cauldron of waste.There are no regulations concomitant with the rapid industrialisation.Nobody cares for the victims of pollution as we have a billion people to depend on.Life is cheap.Malthusian principle says all systems will self regulate themselves.More growth and more dieseas and more deaths.
India's problem during the coming years will take the turn for the worst when it comes to cardiovascular (heart/vascular), metabolic (diabetes) and then pulmonary (COPD) diseases in that order. Runaway out of control policies leading to increased pollution (more cars, bike) coupled with affordable and unhealthy food are the reasons to blame. The political leaders are not capable of recognizing these long term issues and people in general are even less informed. Coming to COPD, most doctors in India cannot even distinguish between the congestion in the lungs brought about by allergens and genuine obstruction by COPD (brought on by long term smoking). There is rampant pollution all around us in India and people are allergic in more than one way (auto exhaust, pollens etc.). The doctors need to show some caution when it comes to dealing with these situations and all obstructions are not the same. In a large country like India, it is next to impossible to administer the medication on a voluntary basis (cost). It all begins with the knowledge and awareness. If we do that then half the battle is won.
I am victim of passive smoking , pollution, and constant travel. I am having the problem of COPD for the 30 years. I am now 73. I am following the instructions of my Phycsian and I am following what has been written in the article. While a reasonbly well to do person can meet the cost of meeting the medical expenses, the poor patients, who cannot afford them suffer a lot. While for the future, a scientific research on this issue by eminent Physcians and scietists can prvde solutions, for the present cheaper medical products must be made available by the Government and Drug Industry, like AIDs/HIV medicines.
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