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Breathing is Life – Act Earlier on world COPD day (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD)
GTV English
26 November, 2023 19:24
The 2023 theme for World COPD Day is “Breathing is Life – Act Earlier”.The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable disease that causes breathlessness, chronic sputum production and cough.
What is (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It’s also known as emphysema or chronic bronchitis.
COPD is a group of diseases that cause breathing problems and airflow blockage. It can damage the lungs or clog them with phlegm. There is no cure for COPD, but lifestyle and medication changes can help.
Symptoms of COPD include:
- Shortness of breath
- A persistent cough with phlegm
- Frequent chest infections
- Persistent wheezing
- Tiredness or fatigue
- Chest tightness
In an awareness seminar organised by the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (OICD) Dow International Medical College on World COPD Day.
It is revealed that approximately 4.5 million adults in the country suffer from COPD. They revealed that smoking and exposure to smoke from woods and animal dung are the primary causes.
The experienced health professionals reiterated that the worsening Air Quality Index of Pakistan specially major cities in Sindh and Punjab have an increased risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which can cause airflow blockage as well as respiratory issues.
Professor Iftikhar Ahmed (Dean & HOD of Medicine ) emphasised the dangers posed by smog and airborne particles, attributing them to factors such as vehicular emissions, waste burning, and industrial pollution.
Five major respiratory diseases which contributed to 20% of global mortality are asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Both asthma and COPD are the most common and most important chronic respiratory diseases globally.
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