Chandigarh NewsChandīgarh: To create awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a team of doctors from Mohali Hospital in Livasa highlighted several facts and myths about lung-related diseases during a press conference. Consultant Pulmonology Dr Sonal, Senior Consultant Pulmonology Dr Suresh Kumar Goyal, Consultant Internal Medicine Dr Ranjit Kumar Gon and Dr Jagpal Pandher were present on this occasion.
Shedding light on COPD and its treatments, Dr Sonal, consultant pulmonologist at Livasa Mohali Hospital, said COPD is the third deadliest disease after heart problems and cancer worldwide. Many people confuse shortness of breath and cough with a normal effect of aging. In the early stages of the disease, you may not notice symptoms. COPD can develop for years without causing difficulty breathing. You start to see symptoms in the more advanced stages of the disease. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a progressive form of lung disease that ranges from mild to severe. Makes breathing difficult. COPD affects approximately 63 million people, representing approximately 32% of the world’s COPD population.
Dr Suresh Kumar Goyal said: “COPD causes more deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and diabetes combined. COPD occurs most often in people age 40 or older who have a history of smoking. Not everyone, but most people with COPD (about 90% of them) smoke. COPD can also occur in people with chronic exposure to chemicals, dust, smoke, or organic cooking fuels in the workplace. Even if a person has never smoked or been exposed to pollutants for a long period of time, they can still develop COPD. ‘The prevalence of COPD in India is approximately 5.5% to 7.55%. Recent studies show that the prevalence rate of COPD is 22% in men and 19% in women.
