Heed signs of lung disease, HPA warns

BE ALERT:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be mistaken for the common cold, and more than 5,000 people die of it in Taiwan each year, the health agency said

• By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

Shortness of breath, a persistent cough and a cough with sputum could be signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and should not be ignored, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday.

The agency also signed an environmental, social and governance (ESG) manifesto with the Taiwan Society of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (TSPCCM), urging companies and Taiwan’s healthcare industry to reduce carbon emissions to protect people’s respiratory health.

Annual World COPD Day tomorrow. As its theme “Breathing is Life — Act Earlier” aims to highlight the importance of lung health, early diagnosis and early interventions, the HPA is also promoting awareness about COPD and signing the manifesto.

Photo: Screen grab from the Health Promotion Administration’s Facebook page

More than 5,000 people die of COPD in Taiwan each year, and nearly 36 percent of them have complications such as hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases, the HPA said, adding that public awareness about the disease is insufficient.

Cheng Shih-lung (鄭世隆), the director of Far Eastern Memorial Hospital’s division of pulmonary medicine, said that COPD is the third-leading cause of death worldwide, resulting in more than 3 million deaths each year.

However, the three main symptoms of COPD — a persistent cough, shortness of breath and a cough with sputum — are like that of a common cold, so it is often neglected, he said, adding that people older than 40 should especially be alert to the signs of COPD.

National Health Insurance data show the prevalence of COPD in Taiwan is about 2.48 percent, Cheng said, adding that the TSPCCM’s survey showed that the figure was about 6.1 percent, but it could rise as people often ignore mild symptoms.

COPD is a chronic inflammatory lung condition that obstructs airflow in the lungs, the HPA said, adding that smoking tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke are the most common risk factors for COPD.

A 65-year-old man who recently had cardiovascular disease often felt out of breath when he went on walks with his grandson in a park, and coughed, producing thick sputum in the evening, so he went for a lung function test at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Cheng said.

The man scored more than five points in the PUMA questionnaire — a screening tool to detect COPD — which meant he was a high-risk case, so he was examined and was diagnosed with COPD, Cheng said, adding that the man received medication and follow-up care, and now can control his respiratory symptoms.

TSPCCM chairperson Wang Hao-chien (王鶴健) said people can also take the simple self-administered PUMA questionnaire to understand their risk of COPD.

If they score more than five points, they are considered to be at high risk and are advised to see a doctor for further lung function tests, Wang said.

The HPA also recommend that people quit smoking to prevent COPD or slow down the progression of the disease.

To obtain assistance when quitting smoking they can call the administration’s toll-free smoking cessation consultation hotline at 0800-636-363 or seek assistance from more than 3,500 contracted healthcare facilities.