With unexpected rains earlier this week and dropping mercury levels, several Mumbaikars, especially men, are being treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Bandra resident Narendra Khairnar, 30, complained of a persistent cough and cold for three months, but dismissed it as ‘normal’. The seriousness of his condition dawned upon him only when he had to be hospitalised for a week. He is now being treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as chronic bronchitis.
With unexpected rains earlier this week and dropping mercury levels, several Mumbaikars, especially men, are being treated for COPD. Medical experts predict the number of people suffering from COPD will shoot up by 50% annually in the coming years.
“COPD is the most prevalent disease at present. If it is not diagnosed at an early stage, it can lead to respiratory disability and death in extreme cases,” said Dr Sanjeev Mehta, governor of American Council of Chest Physicians in India and chest physician at Lilavati hospital.
He also warned that late detection can leverage the cost of treatment - higher than diabetes and other heart diseases.
A study conducted by the Indian Study on Epidemiology of Asthma, Respiratory Symptoms and Chronic Bronchitis (INSEARCH) found that the rate of men being affected by COPD is around 60% higher compared to women. Smoking, including passive smoking, and persistent exposure to pollutants increases the risk of becoming a victim to the disease.
The difficulty in breathing because of COPD is worse than asthama and is more lethal than the latter. “COPD affects the stamina of a patient and his day-to-day activities are compromised because of it. A patient experiences
breathlessness after activities like walking or climbing the stairs. A CT scan and pulmonary function test are useful tools for diagnosing lung fibrosis,” said Dr Pradeep Parikh, a surgeon with Breach Candy hospital.
The national figures related to the disease are alarming too. A study by an advisory panel headed by Dr GC Khilnani from AIIMS, which also included Dr VK Vijayan from the Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute and Dr NS Murthy from MS Ramaiah Medical College in Bangalore, revealed that 67.70 lakh men and 41.79 lakh women suffer from acute chronic bronchitis.
“Despite this, there is no national health policy to curb the startling numbers. There ought to be some initiative on the part of health ministry to generate awareness on the disease,” advocate Dipesh Siroya told DNA.
A city-based NGO and activists will be filing a PIL in the high court demanding a national health programme. They also want the public health centre and the community health centre to spread awareness about the disease.
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