Environmental pollution, smoking major causes of irreversible COPD

Smoking, air pollution, burning of wood and coal for cooking and heating purposes, burning of garbage and use of Sheesha were identified among the major causes of irreversible lung disease, Compulsive Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), by pulmonologists on Wednesday.

The health experts were speaking at an awareness seminar regarding COPD, jointly organised by the Chest Health and Education Society (CHES) and Pakistan Chest Society (PSC) at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

Commonly known as chronic bronchitis or emphysema, COPD was a serious disease which shrinks lungs, leading to a limited flow of air.

A major cause of heart attacks, strokes and pneumonia, the disease was said to have affected over 340 million people worldwide - around seven million in Pakistan; however, the health experts opined that mostly people remained unaware of the conditions.

Senior pulmonologist Prof Nadeem Rizvi stated that chronic cough (often called a smoker’s cough) and shortness of breath after slightest of exertions were recognizable symptoms of COPD, but many remain undiagnosed owing to a lack of awareness.

“Wheezing, and getting out of breath while walking and smoker’s cough are also early signs of COPD,” he said.

Dr Rizvi stated that COPD was irreversible as breathlessness later transforms into chest infections the frequency of which renders a patient unable to perform simple tasks without oxygen supply.

In the most advanced stages, a patient could also experience permanent disabilities owing to paralysis, the doctor stated, adding, that COPD was the fifth most prevalent cause of deaths across the world. 

“With the current rate of smokers not reducing anytime soon, COPD can become the third largest cause of death in the world by 2020,” Dr Rizvi asserted. He said there was an urgent need to inform people of the hazards of smoking and respiratory diseases. 

An expert at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Dr Nisar Rao, stressed the need for a clear communication between physicians and patients.

“Most patients don’t communicate their problems to physicians due to which the exact cause of illness or disease remains undiagnosed,” he said.

He discouraged the culture of not consulting doctors. “Most COPD patients would rather excommunicate themselves from the society than consult their physicians.”

Dr Javed A Khan of the Aga Khan University Hospital said smoking was one of the major causes of COPD; however, environmental degradation was a cause of this chronic respiratory illness, such as air pollution.

The rising trend of consuming Sheesha among the youth of Pakistan could also exponentially increase the number of COPD cases in the country, he warned. 

He also called for implementation of clean air laws in Pakistan, which prohibited smoking or use of Shisha at public places, including hotels and restaurants.

Experts regretted that despite a Sindh Assembly resolution banning the use of Sheesha at restaurants it was still being served at all major eateries in the city.