Widespread tobacco smoking and use of bio fuels such as wood and coal are a major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and it remains largely under-diagnosed and under-treated in Pakistan despite being a major health hazard, healthcare experts said on Tuesday.
They were speaking at a collaborative seminar organised on Tuesday by the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) and the National Alliance for Tobacco Control to commemorate the World COPD Day. ”COPD affects more than 340 million people and is one of the prime causes of death worldwide,” said Nadeem Rizvi, Pakistan Chest Society president and head of the Department of Chest Diseases at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.
Professor Javaid Khan, pulmonology head at the AKU and National Alliance for Tobacco Control chairman, said that smoking is a major risk factor for the disease “However, significant steps such as greater access to smoking cessation programmes, earlier diagnosis and appropriate management strategies to control the condition can minimise the risk factors,” he added. “Secondhand smoke and sheesha-smoking culture among the youth of Pakistan could result in exponential increase in COPD cases therefore implementation of clean air laws similar to the Sindh Assembly’s resolution banning use of Sheesha in restaurants is desired.” The use of biomass fuel like wood and coal especially in rural areas raises serious questions for the health of women in those areas. Bushra Masood, a “smoking cessation” expert from UK, said that unfortunately most patients visit their doctors when the lungs are severely damaged.
“Smokers should seek help from smoking cessation experts, who could guide them about tips to quit the habit and to utilise new medicine designed to help with quitting smoking,” she added. Talking about the diagnosis of COPD, Dr Hashir Majid, assistant professor of the Pulmonology Section and Critical Care Medicine at the AKU, said that the primary symptom of this disease is persistent cough, accompanied by sputum. “As the disease advances the person starts to experience shortness of breath even after the slightest exertion. If COPD is detected early, treatments are available to prevent further deterioration of this condition,” he added.
Sumbul Sultana, staff technologist of Cardiopulmonary Diagnostic Services at AKUH, highlighted the value of pulmonary function tests such as spirometry, a simple test that measures how deeply a person can breathe, which is extremely helpful in diagnosing COPD at a very early stage. Speaking about the devastating impact on the quality of life for patients, AKUH’s Critical Care Specialist Dr Murtaza Kazmi said that a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation programme which includes patient and family education, exercise as well as psychosocial counseling can help improve the quality of life of COPD patients.
