World COPD Day 2014: Eric Quizon Talks About Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

I attended the World COPD Day 2014 event at Makati Shangri-La Hotel last November 19.  The actor, Eric Quizon, talked about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and how this disease took the life of his late father, Dolphy.


This is just one way to show his support to COPD patients. World COPD Day is an event that is organized to raise awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).



The theme of this year’s World COPD Day is “It’s not too late.” This positive message emphasizes the meaningful actions people can take to improve their respiratory health, at any stage before or after a COPD diagnosis.



Here are some facts that you need to know about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD):

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the 21st century. The Global Burden of Disease Study by the World Health Organization projected that COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020.(1)

In the Philippines, it ranks as the 7th leading cause of death with a prevalence rate of 13.8% in Manila.(2,3) Despite the high incidence of COPD in the Philippines, only 2% of the cases are diagnosed by doctors in contrast to the overall prevalence. (4)The cause of this under-diagnosis and under-treatment is probably due to lack of public health awareness of COPD in our country.

COPD is characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lungs. Cigarette smoking continues to be identified as the most commonly encountered risk factor, accounting for 80-90% of cases. (6,7) Other risk factors that should be taken into account include air pollution,  exposure to certain dust, chemicals in the workplace, indoor air pollution from biomass cooking (i.e. firewood/charcoal), and heating in poorly ventilated dwellings. Only a few cases of COPD are caused by genetic condition.

A clinical diagnosis should be considered in any person 40 years old and above who has risk factors such as exposure to noxious particles or gases.  A COPD patient may not feel anything at the start and develop cough and sputum production during the mid to late stage of the disease.  Thus, high index of suspicion is needed for any person with risk factors. Spirometry is needed to make a confident diagnosis of COPD. It is one of the diagnostic tools that is often underutilized in the Philippines.  A person with risk factors and symptoms should ask his/her doctor about spirometry testing.

The impact of COPD is not only confined to its ill effects on the individual’s health but may also result in an economic and social burden that is both extensive and increasing.(6,7) There is a direct relationship between the severity of COPD and the cost of care.  In developing countries like the Philippines, COPD will certainly force two individuals to give up their work - the person afflicted with COPD and a family member who must now stay home to care for the sick individual. Given that people are often the most vital asset for developing nations, the indirect costs of COPD potentially pose a serious threat to their economies.

Appropriate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions are needed to reduce the symptoms, frequency and severity of exacerbations and improve health status and exercise tolerance. Smoking cessation is without doubt still the single most effective way of reducing the risk of developing COPD and delaying its progression.



It is important to remember that for COPD patients, early detection of the disease and appropriate interventions are vital.



These can help slow down its advance and facilitate quality of life for the patient.  To quote 2014 World COPD Day’s theme:  IT’S NEVER TOO LATE….


Join us in raising awareness of this lung condition. Show your support.


 

4 comments

  1. glad that many people show support the campaign . It is really time that people should be aware of
    risk factors and symptoms of it.

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  2. This is such a good and relevant campaign as a lot of people are affected by COPD. I hope other people would join the campaign as well. My family is well knowledgeable about this and because of that, we learned how to prevent it from happening. :)

    http://abegaillvillacruz.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. it's nice to hear awareness event like this. would be helpful to those people and their loved ones who had heart disease.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is a nice article. My grandfather is a COPD patient. When he diagnosis that he has COPD, he change his life style according to the doctors advise. He use a inhaler to control his disease. COPD treatment

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Any comments, my dear?