In winter, many of us complain of colds. It is worth knowing that a long-lasting cough may indicate a serious lung disease – experts warned during a press conference in Warsaw.
A 12-week long cough, accompanied by shortness of breath, should be reported to your GP or pulmonologist as soon as possible, and then a spirometry test should be performed.
– These symptoms may indicate the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is one of the most common diseases of the respiratory tract, but is still rarely detected – said Dr. Piotr Dąbrowiecki, President of the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy and COPD Patients’ Associations.
It is suspected that around 2 million people in Poland suffer from COPD, but only 400. of them the disease was detected. And it is the most common lung disease affecting patients over 40 years of age. The number of COPD patients will continue to increase. Prof. Ryszard Chazan from the Department and Clinic of Internal Medicine, Pulmonology and Allergology at the Medical University of Warsaw believes that by 2030 the number of people suffering from this disease before the age of seventy will increase by 50 percent, and by as much as 150 percent after seventy.
Early detection of the disease is critical to the success of treatment, as COPD cannot be cured, but the available therapies stop its progression. – Late detection means that the patient has more and more frequent exacerbations of the disease and enters its severe form, which completely excludes him from active life – emphasized Prof. Chazan.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which leads to a systematic reduction in lung capacity. – Symptoms of this may be shortness of breath and coughing. This should not be explained by age or a temporary infection and you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. Dyspnoea first appears after exercise, the patient can barely climb the stairs to the first floor. However, many make the mistake of reporting dyspnea only when it occurs even at rest. It is definitely too late – pointed out Dr. Dąbrowiecki.
The most common cause of COPD is smoking. – Smoking one packet of cigarettes a day for at least 10 years causes inflammation in the lungs, which is conducive to e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – explained Dr. Dąbrowiecki.
Exposure to air pollution, for example in the workplace, can also lead to COPD. Almost every third case of this disease is associated with dust, nitrogen oxides and other atmospheric pollutants. And any respiratory infection can permanently reduce respiratory function
See also:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – COPD