When the Basis of Living-Breathing becomes a Difficulty

World COPD Day (November 21st 2018)

Narrow Airways Make Breathing a Difficult Process

Shortness of breath after running, exercising on the treadmill, going for a walk in high altitude regions or rock climbing is common. There are some who feel short of breath every single day in life making their journey a challenging one! Almost one in 7 people suffer from this issue but often don’t realize its existence which makes it even more complicated. This World COPD Day take a pledge to screen your lungs for COPD if you suffer from such symptoms and safeguard yourself from its consequences.
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Shortness of Breath Cannot Shorten Life
Its not fair to allow shortness of breath to stop you from living your life or fulfilling your dreams. Before knowing how to handle the disease lets know about it.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) is a group of lung conditions including bronchitis and emphysema that cause difficulty in expelling air out of the lungs due to narrowed airways. These conditions can either occur individually or exist together too. In bronchitis, the airways are inflamed and narrowed where the individual often produces sputum or phlegm whereas in emphysema the air sacs at the end of the airways are affected due to which the lungs are filled with holes that trap air. All these make breathing difficult as lungs inhale less of oxygen and exhale less of carbon dioxide. While there are options to make breathing easier in no case can the damage be reversed.

While smoking and exposure to dust/chemicals are the most common causes of COPD, anyone above the age of 35 who has been/was a smoker is likelier to develop the condition. Also, it seems to be a genetic problem and if either of your parents suffered from the condition you are susceptible to developing it. Symptoms include:

1. Shortness of breath doing everyday activities such as walking or cooking
2. Wheezing during cold weather
3. Experiencing a cough that lasts long
4. Excess sputum or phlegm
   
   

While all these seem to be similar to asthma, in asthma the narrowing of the airways is temporary and the individual experiences it every now and then when he/she is exposed to some trigger such as pollen or dust. But in the case of COPD, the airways become narrow permanently and medications can only help relaxing them to some extent. A physician can help in diagnosing the condition and start with treatment right away to ease your pain. Treatment options include quitting smoking, dispensing medications, non-invasive ventilation, surgery where the worst-affected portion of the lung is removed or in extreme cases, lung transplant.

Living Healthy with COPD
Though there is no cure for the disease, the affected patient can do as much as he/she can to live a healthy life:

Quit smoking: Take a pledge to quit smoking today. Try to avoid second hand smoking as much as possible. These have immediate positive effects on the body.

Vaccination: Get yourself vaccinated against pneumonia and influenza

Follow a healthy diet: A healthy diet is a sure-shot way to keep yourself energized and prevent any further deterioration in health. Make it a habit to include foods from all five food groups. Get in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com to help you eat a well-balanced meal and also help you avoid weight imbalances.

Stay active: Research on COPD shows that doing physical activity regularly can help you stay fit, improve quality of life and keep you energized.

World COPD Day
While life with COPD can be difficult as it is a progressive disease (meaning it has no cure) one can always take steps to reduce its impact as much as possible and make life easier and more comfortable to live. The World COPD day celebrated on November 21st this year aims to spread awareness about the disease and improve care of those patients suffering from the disease. More than 50 countries participate actively on this day holding different events, campaigns and activities to improve the condition of those people suffering from COPD and also to make people come forward and get themselves tested if they fear symptoms of the same. The theme for 2018 is ‘Never too early, never too late’ which seems apt as there is no upper limit or lower limit for taking care of yourself.