Signs and symptoms of illness
The disease is common in smokers or in homes where there are smokers. However, not many of them think they have the disease.
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Until now, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is considered a disease of the elderly. However, patients are tending to be younger. Many people under 30 have been affected by smoking since the age of 7-8 or live in households with smokers.
Statistics at the Central Lung Hospital show that, out of 6,000 patients receiving management examination, 78% are aged 31-50. The main cause is smoking.
15-20% of patients do not smoke, but because of passive smoking, exposure to dust and toxic fumes at work or at home. Patients working in occupations related to dust account for a high percentage: teachers, tailors, carpenters, then students.
The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Vietnam is about 4% of the population. Due to smoking, pipe tobacco and environmental pollution, this number is on the rise, said Associate Professor Ngo Quy Chau, deputy director of Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi).
According to him, the disease is considered an invisible "killer" because it develops silently for decades, and does not cause immediate danger. However, the patient will often suffer from a lack of oxygen in the blood, causing fatigue, shortness of breath, chest tightness, cough, weakness, and even being unable to move. The consequences are reduced labor capacity, even being unable to take care of themselves.
"More dangerous, the disease can easily lead to complications in the lungs such as pneumonia, lung tumor, pneumothorax, and make many other diseases worse such as diabetes, heart failure... The disease is ranked sixth. in the 10 most common diseases and the fourth highest cause of death in the world, after coronary heart disease, cancer and cerebrovascular accident", Associate Professor Chau recommended.
Not only that, the cost of treating the disease is very expensive, much higher than the treatment of asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia... The disease cannot be completely cured but can only reduce symptoms, slow down. lung injury process, improving quality of life.
The disease is dangerous, but the number of people who understand and control the disease is not much. Even after being reminded to quit smoking, many people still cannot give up this habit, perhaps because the disease does not "die right away", so they are not afraid. treated and only when there was another episode of shortness of breath, she was admitted to the hospital, said Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, deputy director of the Central Lung Hospital.
According to experts, symptoms of the disease include: cough, expectoration in the morning. At the age of 40, symptoms of shortness of breath and sputum production become worse, sometimes wheezing. However, smokers often subjectively think that coughing is caused by smoking without thinking that they are sick.
At the age of 50, the disease began to show flare-ups with worsening coughs, shortness of breath, and shortness of breath. Shortness of breath when exercising will appear clearly at the age of 60. At first, the patient is only tired when walking quickly or going uphill, up the stairs, but later, when eating, bathing, changing clothes, it is also difficult to breathe.
Therefore, in order to detect the disease in time, people who belong to the high-risk group and have the initial symptoms of cough, prolonged sputum production, shortness of breath during exertion should see a doctor immediately for diagnosis and control. lung function test. Once you have the disease, you need to follow the instructions correctly: take the right medicine, have a monthly check-up, quit smoking. In addition, it is necessary to keep the indoor air clean and airy, avoid smoke and gases that cause breathing difficulties, avoid contact with coal stove smoke...
Phuong Trang - VnExpress
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