[이데일리 이순용 기자] COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a respiratory disease in which an abnormal inflammatory reaction occurs in the lungs due to inhalation of harmful particles or gases, resulting in a gradual deterioration of lung function and difficulty breathing. It can be understood as a disease caused by chronic inflammation in the bronchi and lung parenchyma caused by smoking, occupational exposure to harmful gases, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and lung infection.
Shin Ah-young, a professor of respiratory medicine at Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea, said: “If the bronchial tubes narrow due to chronic inflammation and the lung parenchyma is destroyed, a emphysema “COPD is a terrible disease that makes breathing difficult and restricts airflow, ultimately leading to death,” he said.
November 16 of each year is World COPD Day. With the help of Shin Ah-yeong, professor of respiratory medicine at Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic University of Korea, we learned about COPD prevention and treatment.
◇Top three leading causes of death worldwide in 2020… Smoking is the leading cause
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, a total of 192,636 home patients visited hospitals with COPD last year, a decline for two consecutive years after a peak of 227,314 in 2019. By gender, men are about three times as many probable of women.
However, COPD is a common disease affecting 1 in 7 adults over the age of 40 and 1 in 2 adults over the age of 70 in Korea. The mortality rate is also high. It ranks third among the top 10 causes of death worldwide in 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is also predicted that by 2050, air pollution will become the number one cause of death worldwide. When COPD is acutely exacerbated and hospitalized, 50% die after 3.3 years and 75% die after 7.7 years.
The main cause of the disease is smoking. 70-80% of COPD is related to smoking. The remaining most common causes of COPD in nonsmokers are tuberculosis and asthma. Also, it usually appears after the age of 40 for various reasons such as exposure to indoor and outdoor polluted air or fine dust, a history of long-term exposure to dust or gas at work, frequent respiratory infections in childhood, or birth with low weight, heredity or immunity.
Symptoms are usually accompanied by shortness of breath, phlegm, cough, chest discomfort and tightness. Shin Ah-yeong, a professor of respiratory medicine at Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea, said, “Coughing and shortness of breath are common symptoms of COPD, but similar symptoms can occur in other diseases such as bronchial asthma, heart failure, pneumonia, lung cancer and bronchiectasis.” “The difficulties may intensify, especially with exercise, or persistent or intermittent, persistent cough or persistent phlegm may occur.”
◇It is difficult to cure when lung function is reduced… Get checked regularly
Above all, the biggest problem with COPD is that most patients present to the exam with 30-40% reduced lung function. The reason symptoms appear after lung function has decreased is because there are two lungs. People can live with only one lung, but even if lung function drops to 50%, people who don’t exercise much may not experience any symptoms.
Professor Shin Ah-young said, “Compared to the frequency and severity of the disease, many COPD patients don’t even know they are patients and are not receiving adequate treatment.” .”
However, even if COPD is diagnosed early, it is difficult to treat once lung function declines. However, recent studies have shown that active drug treatment can improve symptoms and lung function, prevent deterioration, and improve quality of life. COPD is diagnosed when inspiration to expiration ratio, or the ratio of expiratory volume in one second to maximal lung capacity, is less than 0.7 through pulmonary function tests and lung capacity tests for people with a long smoking history or risk factors.
◇Prevention and treatment start from “smoking cessation”… Yearly check-up is required after age 40
The surest way to prevent COPD is to quit smoking. Smoking cessation is a simple but highly effective way to change the course of COPD and slow the decline in lung function. COPD patients who continue to smoke often have exacerbations, which increase the risk of hospitalization and mortality.
Additionally, regular physical activity is essential for all COPD patients. If we stop moving due to shortness of breath, we continue to sit or lie down, and when this happens, the motor muscles in our body, including the respiratory muscles, atrophy. Daily living and exercise can go a long way in relieving shortness of breath, improving your quality of life, and reducing problems like depression and anxiety. Rehabilitation and drug treatment also help improve symptoms and prevent secondary complications. In the case of smokers, if you’re over 40, you can check your lung health simply by having a chest X-ray once a year and comparing the images annually.
Professor Shin A-young said, ‘Early diagnosis through regular checkups, such as pulmonary function tests, is the best way to alleviate the patient’s symptoms and reduce the social costs that may arise from the subsequent progression to a critically ill patient. “. a controllable disease that, if managed, can prevent disease progression. Requires active examination and treatment.
◇ Self-diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
1. Frequent cough.
2. Sputum or mucus is produced.
3. Compared with the same age group, shortness of breath is frequent.
4. You are over 40 years old.
5. Current or former smoker.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by cough, phlegm, and shortness of breath. It’s easy to take these symptoms for granted, especially for smokers, but three or more of the above symptoms can be a sign of the onset of a disease. Caution is needed.
