“Take a minute” for your health on World COPD day.

– the 16 of November was celebrated the day world of disease pulmonary obstructive chronic (COPD) under the motto known and breathes ”

-pulmonologist Carlos Ruiz Martínez Hospital Viamed Los Manzanos has proposed, the activities to publicize the illness, a brief questionnaire that will help you know if you have COPD

-La COPD kills 50 people a day in Spain and in La Rioja, 14,000 persons affected by this disease are

– despite its high incidence, 80% of Spaniards do not know what is this disease or known risks

Logroño, November 2011- every day, 50 people die in Spain his fault, but few Spaniards know what it is. Only two out of every ten Spaniards know what they talking about to mention the acronym COPD, a disease that mainly affects smokers, which is the fifth leading cause of mortality in developed countries and which will become the third by 2020, according to the World Health Organization (who).

the disease pulmonary obstructive chronic, responds to these four acronyms, is charged in Spain every year more than 18,000 lives, eight times more than traffic accidents. More than two million people suffer and often nor they know: is only diagnosed in one of every four cases. Being 80% of the Spaniards ignored, according to a poll more than 6,500 people by the Spanish society for Thoracic Surgery (Separ) and pneumonia.

Chronic cough, expectoration, repeated colds and dyspnea (lack of air, often to make some effort) are symptoms that should see a specialist.

“Diagnose is very easy, just a spirometry ”, explains the pulmonologist of Hospital Viamed Los Manzanos, Carlos Ruiz Martínez on the occasion of the world day, which was held on 16 November.” “What happens is that often the smoker attributed these symptoms to tobacco, becomes greater and find them normal.” “But they are not always and life can be much improved with treatment,” added.

Although in principle anyone can suffer from COPD, it is much more common among smokers, who represent 80% of patients. Between 15% and 20% who consume or have consumed tobacco normally they will suffer from this disease.

Carlos Ruiz Martínez pulmonologist ensures that abandoning tobacco is the most effective way to not suffer a COPD. It is also to halt their advance once detected. Patients who stop it in its early stage have much better quality of life, added the specialist.

Dr. Ruiz.

Is very important to know your symptoms in order to combat ” said the specialist and why in the World COPD day proposed a short and simple questionnaire developed by GOLD (The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) and scientifically evaluated to identify the person most likely to have COPD ”. The questionnaires will be available to the public tomorrow in Hospital Viamed Los Manzanos.

On World COPD day take a minute to solve this questionnaire.

Obstructive lung disease chronic (COPD) is a serious disease. However, many people suffer from it and not know it. These questions will help you know if you might have COPD.

It is a short questionnaire developed by GOLD (The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) and scientifically evaluated to identify the person most likely to have COPD.

1. what cough most days?

2 start phlegm often?

3. What is more easily than others their age fatigue?

4. do you have more than 40 years?

5. smoke or has smoked?

“If it responds affirmatively to three or more than these five questions it follows that you may have COPD and therefore call the doctor to confirm through a spirometry”

according to the national educational programme for United States, the spirometry lung health should take place in the ambulatory the majority of smokers, that early detection of COPD in smokers may change the progression of the disease. The spirometry is capable of detecting disorders of mild, but clinically important, air flow in about 20% of smokers without symptoms. These patients could prevent the decline of their lung function if they avoid tobacco. Currently, we recommend you a spirometry for all patients of any age who have symptoms of COPD and all smokers over age 40 who have risk factors: smoking, recent former smokers and people with occupational exposure to toxic pulmonary agents.