- Long-term tobacco smoking is the single most important and consistent finding associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease commonly occurring after 50 years of age. Alpha-1-antitrypsin enzyme deficiency may present with these conditions at earlier age itself.
- Sufferers of COPD experience a number of symptoms, including breathing difficulty during physical activity, mucous secretion when coughing, headaches in the morning, sleep difficulties, weight loss and fluid retention. As disease progresses, the symptoms may get gradually more severe and occur more frequently. They are especially triggered by infections of the airway. In advanced stages, the symptoms will present even with minimal physical activity and ultimately results in lung failure.
- Once the disease has set in, there is no way to stop it from progressing or to revert the lung back to pre-diseased state. Prevention strategies are aimed at slowing the progressive loss of lung function and prolong life. Symptoms can be managed via therapy with certain drugs. The only way to prevent is to say no to smoking and leading a healthy lifestyle with less exposure to polluted air. Unless one is unfortunate to be with some of those enzyme deficiency diseases, they are safe from this condition. Awareness is the key to prevention of this disease.
- Stopping smoking has been shown to show immediate decline in rate of progress of the disease. The lost function of the lung is not regained, but further loss and deterioration is slowed appreciably. The condition manifests with symptoms about 20 pack years (one pack year = one packet per day in one year, so 20 pack years will be about oen packet smoked per day for 20 years or equivalent such as two packets per day for 10 years and so on).
- This is one condition in which life-style modification (cessation of smoking) and exposure to fresh non-polluted air can be beneficial in slowing the disease from further progression. And the benefit is significant and increases life span even after the disease has set in. Continuing to smoke after diagnosis of the condition will result in a much earlier appointment with death than one wants. Individuals who work in dusty environment may require to change their job to prevent worsening of the disease.
