Frequent cough in the morning and spend a lot of phlegm? Be careful, you might suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As experienced Nezam, 71 years old, as she felt that the more severe shortness of breath, especially when on the move, such as walking. "It is hard to catch my breath," said the skinny man. Coughing phlegm every morning to spend a lot of ritual has become routine. Nezam also check into the hospital, and the recording X-rays showed his lungs were perforated-perforated. Doctors said the disease had COPD. "He said baseball can be cured except stop smoking. I was already smoked cigarettes 50 years, was forced to stop, "said Nezam when giving testimony in a discussion" High Mortality Communicable Diseases in Indonesia "in MRCCC Siloam Hospital, Jakarta. pulmonary specialist Friendship Hospital, Jakarta, Professor Faisal Yunus , strengthen, cough with phlegm in the morning was one of the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. "So be alert, especially if you are active smokers and long," he said. The disease is characterized by air flow resistance which is not smooth in the respiratory tract and reactive to the lung when receiving particles or toxic gases and hazardous. Air flow resistance is caused by a combination of obstruction of small airways (obstructive bronchiolitis) and cell damage in the lungs or parenchymal organs (emphisema). But this is certainly different for each person. other lung expert, Budhi Space, calling patients with COPD have chronic bronchitis or a combination emphisema smoking habit. In patients with COPD often cough and removing phlegm as sputum cells (goblet) tried to remove the liquid (sputum) to protect against the walls of the respiratory tract is damaged by cigarette smoke. Sputum that comes out will usually accumulate in the airways.While the hairs in the airways to transport a foreign substance or dirt poor growing conditions and the increasingly rare and small. Because patients or former patients with COPD is smoking in a long time and many, sputum cells will work hard to remove any liquid."He was so hyperactive, even if already quit smoking, sputum cell to keep working," said the doctor Budhi. Not surprisingly, patients with COPD will continue to cough and removing phlegm in the morning. "Because night's sleep, but the cells continued to remove phlegm and piled up in the morning," he said. Cough and sputum in smokers and patients with COPD, according to doctors Budhi, more. Usually the cough will appear not far when he started the activity. "Most easily seen in the shower," he said. In addition to coughing up phlegm, another sign that appears are shortness of breath. But the public, according to doctors Faisal, shortness of breath is often mistakenly perceive this. They thought they suffered shortness of breath is treated with an asthma attack and asthma medications. But the attacks of asthma and COPD is very different. Asthma usually occurs at a young age, often arises due to genetic factors. Shortness of breath on asthma usually arise if there is a clear precipitating factors such as food, dust, cigarette smoke, cold air, animal dander and so on. Shortness of breath will also be worse at night. Whereas in patients with COPD, shortness of breath will occur most of the day. Shortness of breath will become more so when there is activity-walking or climbing stairs. "He will run slower and tired faster," Faisal said the doctor. If patients taking asthma medications, even a bad response. This becomes a factor which further strengthens the signs of the disease. When examined by X-rays, would seem lung patients is quite large. "Great indeed, but soft like a balloon. His lungs are not elastic as well, "Faisal added. As soon as coughing and shortness of breath appear, then usually the patient come to the hospital to check his condition. COPD is a disease is not contagious, can be prevented and treated. Often appears in middle age from smoking for a long time. Prevalence increased with increasing life expectancy and the high impact and risk factors, as well as increasing number of smokers and air pollution. Increasingly, more and more people with this disease and become one of the leading causes of death. In 1990, according to World Health Organization (WHO), the disease still ranks sixth, is expected in 2020 ranks third. Data The Asia Pacific COPD Roundtable Group in 2006 showed the number of COPD patients reached 56.6 million with a prevalence of 6 percent.As for Indonesia, with 4.8 percent of patients, is the third largest COPD sufferers in the world after China (38 million) and Japan (5 million). The number is expected to rise due to the large number of smokers. Therefore, 90 percent of people with COPD are smokers or former smokers. COPD is a disease that is increasing from year to year, and was competing with hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, asthma, joint disease, and cancer.
