COPD: What You Should Know About This Disease (NAPSA)—Many people quit e The American Lung Associa- smoking each year in a move to improve their health. Few, how- tion and ALTANA Pharma US have developed free “Hungry for Air: Care. Share. Commit.” care ever, take the next logical step after quitting—visiting their doc- creases yourrisk of illness, it’s important to find out how much packages designed to encourage people to reach out to family and friends who they suspect may have symptoms of COPD and ask them to request a lung function lung diseases including chronic card, a COPD informational card tor for a lung function test. While quitting smoking de- test from their doctor. Care packages include a 10-minute calling damage may have already been done by checking for a variety of obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diagnosed in more than 11 million adults. It is the fourth leading cause of death and claims the lives of more than 120,000 Americans annually. COPDis a term referring to a large group of lung diseases char- acterized by obstruction to airflow that interferes with normal breathing. Emphysema andchronic bron- chitis are the most important conditions that compose COPD and you can have them at the same time. COPD can have a variety of causes from occupational hazards to air pollution. But the most com- mon cause is smoking and accounts for 80-90 percent of deaths from COPD. The American Lung Association offers the following advice to current and ex-smokers to help you learn more about COPD and quit smoking. e Learn to recognize the symptoms of COPD. Symptomsinclude offs: Visit your doctor for a lung func- tion test to see if you suffer from COPD. chronic cough, shortness of breath, a greater effort to breathe, increased mucus production and frequent clearing of the throat. e Discuss these symptoms with your doctor. “Many smokers or ex- smokers may harbor feelings of guilt, shame or fear and will often ignore or misinterpret the signs of COPD,” said Dr. Norman Edelman, medical consultant for the American Lung Association and a professor of medicine at SUNY Stony Brook University. “That said, family and friend support can go a long way in encouraging someone to consult with their physician and ask to see a pulmonologist. Early diagnosis can open the door to treatment options that can improve the quality oflife.” and a plastic drinking straw to simulate the difficulty of breathing when suffering from COPD. They are available by calling 1877-COPD-INFO or by visiting www.lungusa.org. Get help to quit smoking. Join a stop-smoking program such as Freedom From Smoking* from the American Lung Association. This online program gives ideas and peer support to help you quit for good. Other risk factors of COPD include heredity and a history of childhood respiratory infections. “Researchers are identifying cer- tain genetic traits that make indi- viduals more likely to develop the disease,” said Dr. Edelman. “If you have a history of COPD in your family, you should run, not walk to your doctor and ask for a lung function test.” For more information about quitting smoking and COPD, go to www.lungusa.org.
