Beyond tobacco smoking, air pollution among the big risk factors for COPD

 Apart from tobacco use, one of the major risk factors for COPD is air pollution.

Concerns regarding non-smoking risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), such as air pollution, have been raised by a recent report.

According to Dr. Sundeep Salvi, president of the Indian Chest Society, exposure to high levels of air pollution is the cause of more than half of COPD cases in India.A new section on the value of immunization for COPD patients has been added to the report, which was released on November 15, World COPD Day.

The COVID-19 vaccine, the flu shot, the pneumococcal vaccine, the shingles vaccine (herpes zoster vaccine), and the pertussis vaccine were the first five vaccinations advised for COPD patients in order to save them from becoming worse off of these infections. This year, a new vaccination known as the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine was made available to COPD patients older than 60.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (US) created GOLD, the preeminent global body that issues annual guidelines centered on the most recent advancements in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

During the World COPD Day conference, the GOLD strategy report was presented.

For the past 20 years, the GOLD has designated the third Wednesday of November as World COPD Day. "Living is breathing." This year's World COPD DAY theme was "Act Earlier." "The primary goal is to raise awareness about COPD, the third most common cause of death globally, and to assess the current state of diagnosis and treatment," stated Dr. Salvi. An estimated 5 crore people in India

The Pune-based expert claims that elevated air pollution levels both cause and exacerbate COPD. Chronic, progressive lung disease known as COPD is brought on by exposure to tobacco smoke, air pollution, childhood recurring respiratory tract infections, untreated chronic asthma, and lung disease following tuberculosis.

"The peak months for developing COPD and experiencing COPD exacerbations, often known as lung attacks, are the winter months beginning in November. Wintertime sees a spike in hospital admissions and visits from COPD patients, costing the country an estimated Rs 50,000 crore in lost revenue. During this time of year, people with COPD should exercise extra caution. They should stay inside and avoid sources of indoor air pollution such as mosquito coils and dhoop agarbattis. They should also drink plenty of fluids to keep their lungs moist, eat fruits and green leafy vegetables that are high in antioxidants, wear a mask when necessary, and take their prescribed COPD medication on a regular basis.

In addition, Dr. Salvi emphasized the value of immunization and discussed administering the RSV vaccine to COPD patients who are older than 60. Although RSV is a common virus that causes upper respiratory tract infections in children, recent research has revealed that it also affects elderly COPD patients, aggravating their condition and explaining how the RSV vaccine protects them, according to Dr. Salvi.