Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): an increasingly frequent pathology

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, commonly known as COPD, is an airway disease characterized by progressive obstruction of airflow to the lungs. It is a treatable and preventable disease, as it is usually caused by an inflammatory reaction to tobacco smoke.

Currently, in Spain it is estimated that around 9% of the Spanish population aged between 40 and 70 years are affected by this pathology. Men suffer from it much more than women, the male/female ratio being 4:1.

However, although it is the 4th cause of mortality in Spain, only 22% of patients are diagnosed. As it is a chronic pathology, it is essential to be able to make an early diagnosis of COPD.

What are the most frequent clinical manifestations?

The main warning signs that Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease may present are:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Expectoration

All these symptoms should be discussed with a specialist in Pneumology so that he/she can evaluate them. In this sense, Dr. José Bujalance’s office performs functional respiratory studies to confirm the diagnosis of COPD, as well as to estimate the stage of the pathological process, based on the severity of the disease and its phenotype.

Likewise, these respiratory studies will make it possible to tailor treatment to each patient in a personalized way. In this sense, today there is a wide range of therapeutic possibilities such as active ingredients or the use of inhalation devices. The treatment of each patient will vary according to the characteristics and the medication he/she is taking. However, the best preventive method and also the best treatment for the disease is smoking cessation.

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Finally, the control and follow-up of this pathology is very important to prevent future problems that could lead to hospital admission. For all these reasons, it is important that if you think you may have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, you go to your pulmonologist quickly to have the necessary tests performed.