The doctor spoke about the signs of COPD at an early stage

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a serious disease of the respiratory system that develops gradually and leads to persistent difficulty breathing. Olga Ulankina, an expert at the Hemotest laboratory, told Izvestia on November 19 who is at risk for COPD, how to recognize the disease at an early stage and how to prevent its development.

"There are two main pathological processes in COPD: constant inflammation in the bronchi with excessive sputum production and damage to the alveoli, where gas exchange occurs. These changes cause the airways to narrow and make exhaling especially difficult," she explained.

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The disease progresses slowly but irreversibly. The first signs often go unnoticed — it may be a morning cough with sputum separation or a slight shortness of breath when climbing stairs. Over time, breathing becomes wheezing, and a feeling of lack of air begins to occur even when walking normally. A characteristic feature of COPD is that breathing difficulties persist all the time and the condition almost does not improve after using inhalers. Another of the main symptoms is tachycardia.

"Of course, smoking remains the main provocateur of the disease — every smoked cigarette destroys lung tissue and causes chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract. But it is important to understand that passive smokers are also at risk, especially children living in the same room with smoking parents," the expert explained.

According to her, workers of harmful industries are also at risk: miners, metallurgists, builders, employees of textile and chemical enterprises. Constant inhalation of industrial dust, silicon compounds, cadmium and other toxic particles gradually leads to irreversible changes in the bronchi and alveoli.

A separate category is represented by residents of megacities who are exposed to polluted air on a daily basis, and people who use biomass (firewood, coal) in poorly ventilated rooms for cooking and heating.

Genetic predisposition also plays a role, especially hereditary deficiency of an enzyme that protects lung tissue from destruction. Prematurity followed by bronchopulmonary dysplasia, frequent pneumonia in childhood, and bronchial asthma with improper treatment also increase the likelihood of developing COPD in adulthood.

"For a long time, many patients attribute age-related symptoms such as wheezing when exhaling, frequent exacerbations of bronchitis in the cold season, and decreased exercise tolerance. It is especially significant when a person begins to instinctively avoid actions that cause shortness of breath and changes his lifestyle, adapting to respiratory discomfort," the doctor emphasizes.

COPD prevention should be comprehensive and begin as early as possible. The priority is complete smoking cessation, and it is important not only to stop active smoking, but also to eliminate secondhand smoke. People from occupational risk groups should strictly observe safety precautions, use respirators and undergo regular medical examinations. Residents of ecologically unfavorable regions are recommended to install air purification systems in residential areas.

Regular physical activity aimed at training the respiratory muscles can significantly slow down the progression of the disease. Breathing exercises, swimming and walking at an average pace help maintain the functional reserve of the lungs. An important element of prevention is timely vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal infection, as respiratory infections accelerate the progression of COPD.

Earlier, on September 3, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, chief pulmonologist of the Ministry of Health Sergey Avdeev urged Russians to get checked for COPD. According to him, smokers in the country were massively diagnosed with "chronic bronchitis", which turned out to be incorrect. The specialist emphasized that in order to identify the true clinical picture, spirometry should be performed, which will reveal a violation of respiratory function — a clear sign of COPD.

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