COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and Air Pollution

COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary is a chronic disease affecting the lungs more predominantly the airways (bronchitis) and air spaces (emphysema). It is the third most common cause of death world wide with almost 5% of adults affected in rural areas and 11% in urban areas.

Most common symptoms of COPD:

• Breathlessness
• Cough with mucous expectoration
• Other symptoms include weight loss, muscle loss etc.

Risk factors for COPD:

Most important correctable risk factor is smoking – cigarettes, pipes, cigars, bidis, hookah (active and passive) – accounts for the majority of cases world wide 
Air pollution – vehicular pollution, factory emissions, chemical exposures 
Indoor smoke exposure especially biomass (eg wood, coal) burning for cooking in rural areas with poorly ventilated kitchens 
Repeated childhood infections like pneumonia, viral infections 
Tuberculosis – important cause in a country like India – TB may later lead to development of COPD 
Uncontrolled chronic asthma may end up as COPD 
Certain genetic factors like alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency

Diagnosis 
COPD is diagnosed correlating your symptoms and performing a pulmonary function test known as spirometry. 
Occasionally additional tests such as diffusion capacity, lung volume assessment and HRCT chest may be required to be performed.

Complications of COPD: 
COPD is often associated with inflammation leading to higher risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and respiratory failure.

Treatment for COPD:

• Stop Smoking
• Inhalers as advised by your doctors
• Breathing exercises and pulmonary rehabilitation
• Vaccination against flu, pneumonia, herpes

Measures to be taken to protect from air pollution:

• Avoid burning fossil fuels when possible
• Change from biomass fuels to LPG for cooking
• Avoid smoking especially in vicinity of children or pregnant women
• Use public transport so car emissions are reduced
• Strict environmental restrictions on factories and industries
• Use mask while going to polluted areas
• Use air purifiers when possible indoors
• Exercise, use treadmill indoors with air conditioning and air purifiers rather than outdoors in winters.

FAQs: 

Is COPD curable? 
Unfortunately, once developed COPD is not curable but can be controlled and progression slowed by regular treatment and follow up. 
Quitting smoking, avoiding air pollution especially indoor pollution, breathing exercises help in improving quality of life.

Is COPD more common in males? 
While COPD is more common in males in the west due to higher rates of smoking and exposure to outdoor air pollution among males, in developing countries, females from rural areas are also at higher risk due to exposure of biomass fuel use.

P. D. Hinduja Hospital has one of the top Department of Pulmonary Medicine in Mumbai with top notch Respiratory Medicine consultants. For further guidance or queries, you may book a consultation  or call on 022 6766 8181 / 022 4510 8181.