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Regarding the World Day of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which will be celebrated on Wednesday, the pulmonologist Ana Sofia Oliveira, of the SPP board, in statements to Lusa, called attention to the importance of people not devaluing the symptoms such as shortness of breath (dyspnea) and cough, emphasizing that this disease is underdiagnosed.
“The disease has a high prevalence in the Portuguese population, since it affects about 800 thousand Portuguese, that is, about 14% of the population over 40 years of age, but the big problem is that only about 1% of patients are diagnosed.“he stated.
The specialist insisted that there are “a large number of patients to be diagnosed” and recalled that “people are not very attentive to the main symptoms, which occur gradually and insidiously, such as dyspnea, cough and sputum“.
“As they settle chronically, most patients adapt their daily activities to the presence of these symptoms and shape what they do to their limitations,” he said, explaining: “If you can’t climb two flights of stairs, take the elevator, end up devaluing and don’t seek help soon ”.
Ana Sofia Oliveira maintains that complaints should not be devalued, so that, with medical follow-up, the examination (spirometry) can be performed, which helps to diagnose the disease and accompany the patient in order to have the symptoms controlled and avoid aggravations, especially at a time when the covid-19 pandemic puts these patients at higher risk for complications.
Taking care of the symptoms
Anyone who has already diagnosed the disease must “follow the guidelines given by the treating physician and comply with the medication.” “If they have an exacerbation of symptoms, they should not be allowed to stay at the limit, as it can have harmful consequences,” he reinforced.
The specialist also defended that these patients must comply with influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, since “they serve as protection, preventing the disease from worsening”.
However, he recognizes that, this year, with the custom of wearing a mask due to covid-19, these patients end up being more protected against all other respiratory infections.
“Most of these diseases are transmitted by droplets, the barrier methods used will reduce the associated infectious pathology.“said the pulmonologist, noting that COPD patients have a higher risk of complications if they contract respiratory infections, that is, covid-19, because” the already weakened lungs will have less capacity to fight viruses. “
The pulmonologist also insisted on the need for patients to keep the disease under control, also maintaining medical follow-up, and recalled that with the pandemic they can also be followed at a distance, without the need for face-to-face consultation, through teleconsultations and telemonitories that go progressively. emerging.
“There is a necessary readjustment of medical care (for the pandemic), but patients are still monitored. It is essential that they seek medical attention if they have any exacerbation of symptoms,” he added.
