November 20 2024 Is Celebrated As World COPD Day

Why Is World COPD Day Celebrated?

World COPD day is celebrated without fail, every year, on the third Wednesday of November. COPD and its effective diagnosis and management have been deemed to be so important that they form a major chunk of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development by 2030. The Global Initiative for COPD (GOLD) is one such organisation which first began celebrating this day in 2002. It is part of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS).They want to make people understand the risk factors, symptoms and treatment options available to deal with this condition. As we noticed, some of the initial symptoms may be mistaken for other diseases. Proper diagnosis needs to be done using spirometry. It is a simple test that checks for lung function. Any negative changes in lung function can mean long term health issues.

Theme For World COPD Day 2024-

The theme for this year is ‘Know Your Lung Function’. Though doctors normally suggest spirometry as a diagnostic test, it can be used regularly, to understand people and their respiratory needs as they grow older. We have also listed out important symptoms for you to know about, so you can get help when you think something is going on-

• Persistent cough
• Not being able to breathe properly
• Wheezing or asthma attack
• Respiratory infections that come often
• Feeling very tired
• Having a scratchy feeling or sore throat
• Any headache or congestion which was not present before
• Coloured phlegm may also be present

Some of the common risk factors include smoking, pollution and tobacco consumption. You should limit exposure to secondhand smoke too. If you notice any persistent symptoms, then you should consult a pulmonologist. Though most of the lung development happens in the uterus, some continues till the end of childhood. Exposure to specific pollutants or substances then can also predispose you to COPD in the future.

This initiative is hence an effective platform to help people understand more about the condition itself and one of the main principles include getting regular health check ups. This way, you and the doctor have a marker for every year or so, to see how your health and important parameters have changed.

Conclusion

This condition has no cure and hence effective management takes precedence. Most people don’t even know that they may be suffering from COPD as the symptoms may mimic other conditions- like wheezing, asthma, cough, tightness of the chest, etc. The common causes or risk factors for COPD include exposure to cigarette smoke, tobacco, pollutants of different kinds and being genetically predisposed to developing COPD at a young age due to an enzyme deficiency. Since COPD places a lot of burden on the healthcare apparatus of every nation, it makes sense for us all to actively work towards getting proper care and help everyone breathe better.