Students of Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Research Institute (IGMC&RI) and Mother Theresa Postgraduate Institute of Health Sciences organised an awareness rally in the city on Thursday marking the World Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD) day.
Flagging off the rally, Dr. V. Govindaraj, Director of IGMC&RI, said that COPD would be the third leading cause of death by 2030. The prevalence of COPD had increased all over the world due to exposure to air pollution and increased use of tobacco particularly among women.
It is characterised by a persistent blockage of airflow from the lungs.
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Dr. R. Venkateswara Babu, Associate Professor, Respiratory Medicine, said that COPD was a silent killer and was largely undiagnosed. He said that smokers above 40 years of age were prone to the disease. People at risk of COPD should take up the spirometry test. It is a painless breathing test and can help reduce COPD. The earlier the disease is detected the treatment can be effective, he said.