Keep your lungs healthy
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COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a long-term lung disease. In this condition, the airways become narrowed and the air sacs in the lungs are gradually damaged. As a result, the patient cannot draw in enough air, and shortness of breath worsens over time.
The main causes of COPD include: smoking, prolonged exposure to cooking smoke, air pollution, working in dusty environments or chemical factories, and genetic deficiency of alpha-1 antitrypsin, among others.
Individuals over 40 years of age, long-term smokers, women in rural areas who cook using wood or biomass fuel, workers in brick kilns, factories or dusty environments, and those with a chronic cough are at risk of COPD.
Symptoms of COPD include: persistent cough and sputum production, shortness of breath when walking or climbing stairs, wheezing sounds while breathing, frequent chest infections, and in advanced stages, breathlessness even at rest.
Treatment:
Please quit smoking, use inhalers correctly as prescribed.
The patient has to take medications and nebulization as needed.
Need to undergo pulmonary rehabilitation.
Get influenza and pneumonia vaccines.
In severe cases, receive long-term oxygen therapy.
To keep your lungs healthy, quit smoking today. Ensure adequate ventilation in the kitchen. Use clean fuels instead of wood or straw stoves. Walk regularly and practice breathing exercises. Do not stop your inhaler without consulting your doctor.
Author: Assistant Professor, Alok Healthcare, Mirpur
