119,237 views
http://www.medicinaeinformazione.com/ / medicinaeinformazione Respiratory disorders, when they become chronic, can be highly disabling, making even simple activities such as walking or climbing stairs difficult. We are talking about BOCO bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that has smoking as its main cause and that progressively alters lung function, no longer allowing a correct breathing rhythm. Dr. Carla Bruschelli, Specialist in Internal Medicine, Family Doctor and SIMI Advisor, talks to us about chronic bronchitis, emphysema and COPD, explaining how primary prevention is essentially one and only one, not smoking or quitting as soon as possible, because the early stages of the disease are silent and only when COPD is at a more advanced stage (there are 4 stages of the disease) and that is when you have symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or wheezing do you turn to the doctor while anyone who is a smoker and is over 40/45 years old should take a simple test, that is spirometry, which evaluates the respiratory capacity and allows you to intercept any damage at a very early stage. The treatment is based on inhaled drugs that must be taken even when the symptoms have disappeared because like all chronic diseases it requires good therapeutic adherence over time to avoid relapses that lead to a worsening of the clinical picture. It is important to pay particular attention in the winter months if you suffer from COPD, get the flu vaccine, live a healthy lifestyle, drink and eat properly and do moderate physical activity constantly. It is also important to measure the level of oxygen in the blood and it is also possible to self-measure with small portable instruments, the pulse oximeter that applied to a finger of the hand measures the value of the saturation in a completely non-invasive way.