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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

World COPD Day 2013: one more chance to make some noise for COPD



The early stages of COPD are often unrecognized, in part because many individuals discount symptoms such as breathlessness, chronic cough, and bringing up phlegm as a normal part of getting older or an expected consequence of cigarette smoking.
 
World COPD Day in Moldova!
 
“Better awareness of COPD symptoms like chronic cough and breathlessness is key to improving early diagnosis,” says Dr. Marc Decramer, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). GOLD is the organizer of World COPD Day.
 
World COPD Day in Moldova!

COPD is diagnosed using a breathing test called spirometry. This test, which is painless and takes only a few minutes, measures the amount of air a person can breathe out, and the amount of time taken to do so. Researchers are also studying additional ways to identify COPD earlier in the course of disease.


There is no cure for COPD, which may also contribute to underdiagnosis of the disease. People whose breathlessness is more severe may find the possibility of finding out that they have COPD frightening, and avoid seeking treatment. “COPD treatment is most effective when begun early in the course of the disease,” says Dr. Jorgen Vestbo, Vice-Chair of the GOLD Board of Directors. “However, at all stages of disease, treatments are available that reduce symptoms such as breathlessness and enable people to participate more fully in daily life.” Furthermore, new medications hold the promise of treating COPD more effectively and with fewer side effects. Scientists are also studying disease markers that in the future may enable them to predict when a person’s COPD symptoms will get worse. “In order to reduce the burden of COPD, we have to identify more of the people who have it,” says Dr. Vestbo.
COPD occurs most often in patients who are over age 40 and who have a history of exposure to COPD risk factors. Worldwide, the most commonly encountered risk factor for COPD is cigarette smoking.  Other important risk factors include dusts and chemicals encountered on the job and smoke from biomass fuels (such as coal, wood, and animal dung) burned for cooking and heating in poorly ventilated dwellings, especially in developing countries.
Patients may be able to slow or even stop the progress of COPD by reducing their exposure to risk factors for the disease. Without treatment, however, COPD is generally a progressive disease, and as the disease gets worse patients become breathless during everyday activities such as climbing a flight of stairs, walking the dog, or even getting washed and dressed in the morning.
World COPD Day was first held in 2002, and has grown each year to become one of the most important COPD events globally. On World COPD Day, dozens of awareness-raising activities for health care professionals, COPD patients, the general public, and the media will take place in countries all over the world.

1 comment:

  1.  I'm 59 years old and female. I was diagnosed a couple of years ago with COPD and I was beyond scared! My lung function test indicated 49% capacity. After having had flu a year ago, the shortness of breath, coughing and chest pains continued even after being treated with antibiotics. I've been smoking two packs a day for 36 years. Being born without a sternum caused my ribs to be curled in just one inch away from my spine, resulting to underdeveloped lungs. At age 34 I had surgery and it was fixed. Unfortunately my smoking just caused more damage to my already under developed lungs. The problem was having is that I enjoy smoking and don't want to give up! Have tried twice before and nearly went crazy and don't want to go through that again. I saw the fear in my husband and children's eyes when I told them about my condition then they start to find solution on their own to help my condition.I am an 59 now who was diagnose COPD emphysema which I know was from my years of smoking. I started smoking in school when smoking was socially acceptable. I remember when smoking was permitted in hospitals. It was not known then how dangerous cigarettes were for us, and it seemed everybody smoked but i was able to get rid of my COPD lung condition through the help of total cure herbal foundation my husband bought, www. totalcureherbsfoundation .com has the right herbal formula to help you get rid and repair any lung conditions and cure you totally with their natural organic herbs,it class products at affordable prices because how awful it is with this lung dictions . I wish anybody who starts smoking at a young age would realize what will eventually happen to their bodies if they continue that vile habit throughout their life, certainly total cure herbs is the formula to get over Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

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