World COPD Day: Most of us are familiar with heart attacks but not many of us know about a “lung attack”. It is the sudden and rapid worsening in the symptoms of COPD, often due to infection or pollution which can lead to hospital admissions, and premature deaths in many.
COPD is a condition characterised by sudden flare-ups that worsen quickly and can last for a few days too.
New Delhi: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) is a common respiratory condition characterized by cough and breathlessness. As the name suggests, patients with this disorder find it difficult to exhale air completely due to narrowed airways. COPD causes a lot of disability due to the patient’s persistent symptoms the patient possesses and hence impairs their quality of life. It is the 3rd leading cause of death across the world, and the second in India. Sadly, more than 90% of COPD-related deaths occur in developing countries.
On World COPD Day, Dr Syed Z Tousheed, Consultant of Pulmonology and Lung Transplantation, at Narayana Health City, shared insights about COPD and its repercussions.
Do you know what is a lung attack?
Most of us are familiar with heart attacks but not many of us know about a “lung attack”. It is the sudden and rapid worsening in the symptoms of COPD, often due to infection or pollution which can lead to hospital admissions, and premature deaths in many.
What is the burden of this disease?
It poses a huge economic burden to an individual and to the health care system. In a country like ours where the health system is largely run by the private sector it becomes even more difficult for an individual to afford the management of the disease.
What are the symptoms of COPD?
COPD is a condition characterised by sudden flare-ups that worsen quickly and can last for a few days too. The flare-ups can require medication such as steroids to lessen inflammation and prevent symptoms from getting worse. However, in the process, some of the steroids can cause mouth infections, hoarseness and even bruising.
Some of the most common symptoms of COPD are:
- Chronic cough accompanied by mucus
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Fatigue
- Chest infections
- A blue tinge in the skin – triggered by lack of oxygen
“On the occasion of World COPD Day, we would like to share with you that lung transplantation in India has become a reality and revolutionised the management of chronic respiratory diseases like COPD, progressive lung fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension. Diagnosing someone with advanced COPD, pulmonary hypertension or advanced lung fibrosis was like a death sentence to them. However medical science advances have given these patients a second chance at a life without suffering and a shot at an independent life. Caregivers are also given a chance to lift the huge physical, financial, and emotional burden that the care of patients with these advanced lung diseases imposes. There is a definite need for us to think beyond conventional management and explore strategies like lung transplants. There is also a crying need for organs to be available for transplant as the waiting time for transplantation for patients with advanced diseases grows longer and longer,” Dr Tousheed concluded.
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