Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease characterized by persistent impairment of airflow from the lungs. The disease is difficult enough to diagnose, life-threatening, makes normal breathing impossible and is not completely treated. The generally accepted terms “emphysema” and “chronic bronchitis” are no longer used in terminology - today they are included in the parameters of the diagnosis of COPD.
The most common symptoms of COPD are shortness of breath (feeling of insufficient air during the respiratory process), pathological sputum (saliva and mucus in the airways) and chronic cough. As obstructive pulmonary disease gradually develops, significant difficulty in daily physical activity can be observed, such as climbing
stairs or lifting and moving a heavy suitcase.
The diagnosis of “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” is confirmed by a simple test called spirometry, which shows how much air is possible when inhaling and exhaling a person and the rate of entry of air into and out of the lungs. Due to the slow development of COPD, the diagnosis is most often made to people over the age of 40.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is completely incurable. A variety of methods and treatment methods can contribute to a slight relief of symptoms and improve the quality of life of the patient. For example, drugs that expand the main airways of the lungs make breathing easier.
In the last century, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was more common among men. But tobacco consumption by women in countries with a higher standard of living has increased, the risk of exposure to polluted air in countries with a lower standard of living has increased, as a result of which the disease now affects both men and women almost equally.
Obstructive pulmonary disease is fatal (approximately 90% of cases) in countries where living standards are average and below average. In such countries, effective measures for the prevention and control of the disease are rarely carried out or are completely inaccessible.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is preventable. The main reason for its occurrence and development is inhaled tobacco smoke (including by passive smokers), but there are other factors. These include:
- polluted indoor air (for example, when using a solid type of fuel in the cooking process);
- air pollution;
- dust and chemicals entering workplaces (fumes, smoke, irritating substances);
- frequent infections of the lower respiratory tract in childhood.
If urgent measures are not taken to reduce the main factors leading to the diagnosis of "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", the prognosis will be disappointing: the total number of deaths from the disease in the next 10 years will increase by an average of 30%.