Comedian Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo spoke about his current state of health during an interview he gave to the journalist Matilde Obregón, in which he spoke about the lung cancer who suffered, as well as who suffers Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseasealso known as COPD. But what is this disease and what are its symptoms? Here we tell you.
What is COPD?
The COPD o Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic inflammatory lung disease what causes the obstruction of airflow from the lungsexplain the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the Mayo Clinicwho maintain that there are two main forms of COPD:
- chronic bronchitiswhich involves a prolonged cough with mucus
- Emphysema, which involves damage to the lungs over time
However, they point out that the majority of people with EPOC tThey have a combination of both conditions.
It is a progressive disease, meaning it gets worse as time goes on. It is one of the main causes of disabilityand is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The COPD severe can prevent the sufferer from doing even basic activitiessuch as walking, cooking, or personal care.
Is a disease without curebut treatments and lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking can help its development and slow the progress of the disease.
Symptoms
I agree with you National Institutes of Health (NIH), the COPD can cause a cough that produces large amounts of a slimy substance called mucus. But it can also cause symptom, as:
- Cough with or without phlegm
- Fatigue
- Chest tightness
- Swelling in the ankle, feet, or legs
- unintentional weight loss
- many respiratory infections
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea) that worsens with mild activity
- Difficulty breathing
- wheezing
It is also likely that people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experience episodes called exacerbations, during which their symptoms worsen relative to the usual daily variation and persist for at least several days, says the Mayo Clinic.
While the NIH, they assure that since symptoms come on slowlymany people may not know they have COPD.
Los COPD symptoms can often limit the ability to do routine activities.
Causes
The Mayo Clinic says that typically COPD is caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases or particles of matter, most often from cigarette smoke.
- people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease they are at increased risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer, and several other conditions.
Prevention
The COPD It can be prevented, mainly by not smoking, and it is that, according to the NHLBI, smoking is the main cause of COPD.
Most people who have COPD smoke or previously smoked. However, up to 30% of people with COPD never smoked
A rare genetic condition that is deficient in alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) can also cause the disease.
The Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease It is the third cause of death in the world. In 2019, it caused 3.23 million deaths, according to reports from the World Health Organization (WHO).
In fact, COPD is one of the diseases covered by the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.