The lungs are a very important part of our body. It delivers oxygen to our blood and removes carbon dioxide from the body. But the way pollution has increased in the country these days, the problem of lung disease has also increased. Especially when the pollution particles spread in the air of the country's capital Delhi and settle in the lungs, then people start having trouble breathing. Let us tell you, these small particles present in the air spread from the breath to the lungs and from the lungs to the blood and then slowly spread throughout the body. Due to this, lung problems are increasing day by day, which is emerging in the form of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It becomes difficult to breathe in this problem. It mainly includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which damage the lungs over time. In such a situation, World COPD Day was started to spread awareness about this disease. Dr Ajay Shah, Managing Director, Neuberg Laboratory, Noida, explains when this respiratory disease occurs, what are its symptoms and what should be done to prevent it.
Symptoms of COPD
- Persistent cough,
- Excessive mucus production,
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath and tightness in the chest
- Severe difficulty breathing and frequent respiratory infections
Causes of COPD
COPD is caused primarily by long-term exposure to irritants that damage the lungs. Smoking remains the main cause, although non-smokers exposed to air pollution, or fuel fumes are also at risk. Genetic causes such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can also cause the disease.
COPD Prevention
If you want to control COPD, improve your lifestyle and quit some bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol. Apart from this, wearing a mask in a polluted environment and improving indoor air quality greatly reduce its risk. Vaccination against flu and pneumonia also plays an important role.
Treatment of COPD
There is no cure for COPD, you can only control this disease by improving your lifestyle. For this, medicines like bronchodilators, steroids and oxygen therapy are usually employed.
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