If you are over 40 and experience breathlessness, doctors suggest that you have a spirometry test to rule out the possibility of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
“Although the effects of the disease later in life could be disastrous, since it has a very slow onset, COPD is ignored in many patients,” says consultant pulmonologist P.K. Thomas said.
“Many people believe that breathlessness while performing day-to-day activities is a result of old age, but there is a chance that it is COPD, especially among patients over the age of 40 who are smokers,” he adds.
He was raising awareness on the disease on the occasion of World COPD Day, observed on November 19.
The disease may start with breathlessness while climbing stairs, but eventually it progresses to a point where the patient finds it difficult to move even 10 feet without feeling short of breath.
In developed countries, COPD is primarily caused by smoking, according to pulmonologist S. Balamurugan. “In India, and other south-east Asian countries, however, there are a number of people who develop COPD from wood-fire smoke in the kitchen. Even people in professions that continuously expose them to noxious fumes are at a high risk,” Dr. Balamurugan said.
The problem with COPD is that it is under-diagnosed. “There are no real statistics on the number of COPD cases and very little awareness amongst the general public,” Dr. Thomas said.
Although there are a number of treatment options for COPD, there is no cure. “Treatment can help slow the progress of the disease, but not cure it. The only real option is smoking cessation,” he said.
Smoking continues to be one of the biggest causes of COPD, and smoking cessation can delay the onset and progress of the disease, he added.
