World COPD Day
NewsToday marks the World Day against Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which was established at the initiative of the World Health Organization.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — this is a common name for a number of diseases in which there is a persistent violation of the movement of air from the lungs.
The World Health Organization estimates that COPD affects 210 million people worldwide.
For Russia, COPD is of particular relevance. The cold climate, the prevalence of smoking, the high incidence of respiratory infections-these factors contribute to the development of the disease.
The diagnosis of COPD is established on the basis of cough with sputum discharge, shortness of breath, which occurs, as a rule, in patients older than 45 years.
It is confirmed by conducting an instrumental method of studying the function of external respiration-spirometry. For timely diagnosis of COPD, spirometry should be performed in all patients with a history of COPD.:
- smoking or contact with environmental pollutants or occupational hazards;
- respiratory diseases in relatives;
- the presence of cough, sputum production, or shortness of breath.
A prerequisite for the diagnosis of COPD, according to the WHO recommendation, is the calculation of the smoking index: the number of cigarettes smoked per day is multiplied by the number of months in the year; if this value exceeds 160, then smoking in this patient poses a risk for the development of COPD.
It is important that most cases of COPD can be prevented!
- The basis is a healthy lifestyle, which includes sufficient physical activity, a normalized stay in the fresh air, and a balanced diet.
- Regular physical training helps to increase the respiratory volume of the lungs. Massage treatments improve blood circulation in the chest.
- COPD prevention measures also include the exclusion of harmful factors (primarily smoking), the prevention of exacerbations and other bronchopulmonary infections.
