Early detection of COPD versus underdiagnosis

About 80 percent of patients with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) does not know that he is suffering from this respiratory pathology, so early diagnosis by spirometry after 40 years “This becomes a fundamental tool for detecting it,” says Hospital Parque pulmonologist Agustin Medina.

In celebration of World COPD Day, he insists on the need to raise awareness of the disease.”frequent, irreversible, potentially limiting and fatal, but above all, it can be prevented through early diagnosis and treatment that delays progression and improves symptoms.” one of the four leading causes of death In developed countries, this entails chronic airflow restriction that worsens over time, the main cause of which is tobacco use.

Medina explains that one of the main reasons high percentage of underdiagnosis of the disease This is motivated by the fact that the patient does not consult a specialist due to the presence of symptoms that are associated with other factors, such as smoking, age, lack of exercise, confusion with asthma or underlying heart disease, among other aspects. He adds that performing spirometry from age 40 is key to measuring air flow exhaled by the patient and its speed, which allows you to diagnose the presence of an obstacle and determine its extent.

COPD prevalence

The pulmonologist at Hospital Parque emphasizes the high prevalence of this disease, which affects 12.4 percent of the population over 40 years of age. and this indicates an upward trend. In this sense, the impact on men stands out, although, he notes, in recent years a greater impact on women has been identified.

This pathology entails, on the one hand, inflammation of the airways due to chronic bronchitis, resulting in continuous daily expectoration. Added to this is pulmonary emphysema, as a consequence of the destruction of the lung parenchyma.

All this, he points out, causes airway obstruction that is not completely reversible, which leads to patients experiencing difficulty breathing out all the inhaled air, both during exacerbations and during physical activity. This results in a wide range of symptoms and severity that significantly impacts the patient’s quality of life. limiting exercise and increasing your addiction.

Hospital Parque pulmonologist notes that early detection of the disease can improve treatment outcomes. the focus was on the use of bronchodilators.and taking preventive measures such as avoiding tobacco use in all its forms, avoiding environmental pollutants, and engaging in regular physical activity. To this is added vaccination against influenza, Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus and pneumococcus. He points out that in the most advanced cases, patients are exposed to oxygen therapy procedures at homerespiratory rehabilitation; and endoscopic or surgical techniques, including lung transplantation.