Civilization lung diseases should be a priority challenge for health in Poland. The scale of the problem is enormous. “In 2020, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is to be the fourth, and in 2030, the third among all causes of death. It is estimated that in Poland about 2 million people suffer from COPD, while as many as 1/3 of patients are not diagnosed. ” – states prof. Halina Batura-Gabryel, National Consultant in the field of lung diseases.
The effectiveness of COPD treatment depends on patients’ compliance with medical recommendations. “It should be taken into account that the majority of COPD patients are elderly and less able-bodied. Hence, the simpler the medication regimen (once a day) and the easier the inhalation technique, the greater the likelihood of an effective treatment of COPD ”- says Prof. Paweł Śliwiński, President-elect of the Polish Society of Lung Diseases. “From a practical point of view, in my opinion, the best for the patient are combined preparations that are in one inhaler containing, for example, a long-acting cholinolytic (LAMA) with a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA).” – points out prof. Władysław Pierzchała, President of the Polish Society of Lung Diseases.
In Poland, theoretically, we have access to virtually all drugs, unfortunately not all modern therapies are fully used. “In our country, some preparations are reimbursed to a very large extent, but, for example, combined preparations (LAMA + LABA) have not received such support. They are available, we can treat them, but it is associated with a large participation of the patient in the costs of treatment. ” – adds prof. Władysław Pierzchała.
A less common disease than COPD is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is a chronic and progressive disease. It most often occurs after the age of 50, and the risk of developing the disease increases with age. As a rule, it is recognized too late. For several years, innovative drugs have been available in the world that inhibit the progress of the disease. “The international guidelines for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis published in July 2015 list only pirfenidone and nintedanib as recommended (conditionally) for the pharmacological treatment of this disease. Both drugs are practically unavailable to our patients due to the high price and the lack of reimbursement. ” – points out prof. Jan Kuś, Head of the XNUMXst Department of Lung Diseases, Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in Warsaw.
A particularly important issue for our health is taking care of the quality of the air we breathe. According to the latest WHO report, as many as 33 of the 50 most polluted cities in the EU are in Poland. Contaminated outside air enters the apartments, causing us to inhale harmful substances at home as well. “The number of deaths due to exposure to air pollution is approximately 10 times higher than the number of deaths due to road accidents.” – says Dr. Piotr Dąbrowiecki, President of the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy and COPD Patients. The reduction of air pollution directly improves the health situation, because what we breathe has an impact on the diseases that affect us. “It seems that if the politicians do not do anything about the smog, we will have to take matters into our own hands and go out in the street wearing a mask.” – says Agnieszka Sztyler-Turovsky, the publisher of MedTvoiLokony
According to a study by the Enviroment Protection Agency, we spend up to 90% of our time in closed spaces every day and up to 9 hours a day on average in shared spaces. Indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. The solution to the problem of poor indoor air quality is its constant cleaning. The best and fastest solution is to supplement existing ventilation systems with independently functioning air purifiers.
Clean air is important for the health and well-being of every human being. It affects the comfort of everyday functioning as well as the development of viral infections or respiratory diseases. Unfortunately, airing out does not always give a good effect, and in many cases it can… worsen the air quality in the house. Instead of fresh air, we let pollution into the room. The solution to this situation are air purifiers that remove allergens that are harmful to health and eliminate unpleasant odors.
Taking care of the air quality at home becomes a necessity when one of the household members is allergic. “According to the forecasts of EAACI and WHO, in 2025 more than 50% of the inhabitants of our continent will suffer from at least one type of allergy.” – notes prof. Zbigniew Bartuzi, President of the Polish Society of Allergology. Even when the household members do not struggle with such problems, it is worth remembering that cleaning the apartment of dust, dust and other allergens is, next to a balanced diet and physical activity, an important element of comprehensive care for the health of the family. It is also worth adding such counteracting in the long run also affects savings in the household budget, which undoubtedly remains an important factor for every household.
We recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first Olympic gold medal by Robert Korzeniowski. During this time, despite his asthma, he became the most successful Polish Olympian. Respiratory diseases are not a contraindication to sports. “It is recommended that people suffering from asthma engage in sports, because it mobilizes the respiratory muscles to work. This should be done under the supervision of doctors and, at the same time, with proper therapy. In most people, except in difficult cases, if it is properly controlled, we can lead to a situation in which it will in no way interfere with everyday life. Contemporary, modern medicine by definition does not eliminate anyone from sport, it is even sport and physical activity that are used in therapy ”. – says Robert Korzeniowski.
Much more on this subject can be found in the publication “Zdrowy Oddech”, which was published on November 16, 2016 together with the daily “Rzeczpospolita” and at www.dbajozdrowie.info
Medonet is a Campaign Partner, therefore, especially for you, the publication is also available on-line: Healthy Breath
Strategic Partners: Polish Society of Lung Diseases, Polish Society of Allergology, GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim.
Partners: Institute of Patient Rights and Health Education, Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy and COPD Patients, Electrolux, Aera Max Professional.
Media Partners: medTvoiLokony, Politykazdrowotna.com, termedia.pl, ohme.pl, forumlekarzapraktyka.pl, Medical Experts.