Veteran actor Zhang Shaohua died of illness, which is the third leading cause of death in the world

Recently, veteran actor Zhang Shaohua passed away due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which once again aroused people's attention to this disease.

The obituary stated that Zhang Shaohua had been deeply troubled by the disease for 10 years and had been hospitalized for treatment many times.

Why is this disease so difficult to cure? And how can it be prevented?

“Five Highs and One Low” are easily overlooked

According to the World Health Organization's "2019 Global Health Estimates Report", COPD is the third leading cause of death in the world. In my country, one person dies from COPD every 2.5 minutes. COPD has the characteristics of "five highs and one low", namely high prevalence, high incidence, high disability rate, high mortality rate, high economic burden rate and low awareness rate. The results of large-scale population epidemiological studies show that the prevalence of COPD in adults aged 20 and above in my country is 8.6%, 13.7% for those over 40 years old, and more than 27% for those over 60 years old, that is, one in every four people over 60 years old in China is a COPD patient. At present, the prevalence of COPD in people aged 40 and above in my country ranks first in the world, and the number of patients is increasing year by year.

COPD is a common, preventable and treatable disease. Smoking is the main contributing factor, and exposure to harmful gases is a secondary contributing factor. There is growing evidence that exposure to cooking fumes and traditional biofuels can also cause COPD in many developing countries.

The main symptoms of COPD include chronic cough, sputum, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, wheezing and chest tightness. Late-stage patients also have weight loss and loss of appetite. People aged 40 and above with chronic respiratory symptoms, a history of smoking, occupational dust exposure, chemical exposure, biofuel smoke exposure, and a family history of COPD should be alert to COPD and are advised to undergo a lung function test once a year.

Early smoking cessation is preventable and curable

COPD is so terrible, how can we prevent it?

Quitting smoking is the most critical measure to prevent and treat COPD. Therefore, all smokers should be strongly encouraged and supported to quit smoking. COPD patients need to do a good job of long-term self-management. They can quit smoking under the guidance of a doctor, get influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, adhere to long-term regular medication, eat a reasonable diet, and do appropriate rehabilitation training. These measures can effectively reduce acute exacerbations and hospitalizations, maintain a stable condition, and improve the quality of life. If you have symptoms such as repeated coughing and frequent sputum, and have risk factors for COPD, you should undergo a lung function test to ensure early diagnosis, early detection, and early treatment.

In the treatment of COPD, we must pay attention to the following aspects:

Adhere to medication maintenance treatment COPD is a chronic disease that requires long-term regular medication. Oral or inhaled medication can reduce symptoms and the risk of future acute exacerbations. Many COPD patients do not take medication regularly. Once the condition is slightly under control, they reduce or stop taking medication on their own, resulting in repeated acute exacerbations and hospitalization. In fact, this is very wrong. Not only does it cause pain to the patient, but the disease progresses faster and costs more.

Respiratory function exercise An important goal in the treatment of COPD patients is to maintain good lung function. Only by maintaining good lung function can patients have better mobility and a good quality of life. Therefore, respiratory function exercise is very important. Patients can exercise their respiratory function by insisting on physical activities, doing breathing yoga, breathing exercises, deep and slow abdominal resistance breathing function exercises, singing, whistling, playing flute, etc.

Ensure adequate nutritional intake of high-quality protein, such as eggs, chicken breast, fish, lean beef, nuts, soy milk, etc. Enhancing immunity is effective in relieving COPD.

Author: Li Haiyan, Deputy Director and Pharmacist of the Pharmacy Department of Xi'an Fourth Hospital

Review expert: Xue Xiaorong, deputy director and pharmacist of the Pharmacy Department of Xi'an Fourth Hospital

Wang Baoxin, deputy director and pharmacist of the Pharmacy Department of Peking University First Hospital