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November 10, 2015 - By: Danbury-Seniors
Approximately 12 million adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and 120,000 die from it each year. An additional 12 million adults in the U.S. are thought to have undiagnosed COPD. What is COPD and why do so many American have it? COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) disease, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. “Progressive” means the disease gets worse over time. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus (a slimy substance), wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms. COPD is a major cause of disability, and it’s the third leading cause of death in the United States.
November is World COPD Awareness Month. In an effort to help raise awareness, the Elmwood Hall Senior Center invited the knowledgeable staff from Hancock Hall / Filosa to speak about this important public health concern. The staff discussed the specifics of what this illness is, what the possible causes are, how is can be prevented.
Mostly caused by smoking, over time tobacco irritates the airways and destroys the fibers in the lungs. Other causes include chemical fumes, dust, and air pollution, with exposure being over a period of time. It usually takes many years to start see symptoms, so this illness is most common in people over the age of 60. Prevention includes not smoking or quitting as soon as possible. This is easier said than done.
Danbury Hospital offers a “Quit Now” Smoking Cessation program.