By Ajita Rijal

Kathmandu, Nov. 21: Doctors have warned that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a real threat to people who are exposed to indoor or outdoor air pollution, including dust and smoke.
It is not only the direct tobacco smokers who are at risk, but also the non-smokers who are exposed to the polluted air and all sorts of air pollutants and smoke from both indoor and outdoor pollution, such as firewood cooking, can be the cause of COPD, according to doctors.
Dr. Asesh Dhungana, Chief of Chest Unit at Bir Hospital, said, “COPD is a long-term (chronic) respiratory disease; it leads to weak respiration and worsens with time. COPD can be prevented and treated if proper measures are taken in time.”
The main cause of COPD is exposure to tobacco smoke. Besides, outdoor air pollution (smoke, dust etc.), indoor air pollution (combustion of cooking firewood, rice straw or dried cow dungs), occupational risks and genetic risks are also causes of COPD, according to Dr. Dhungana.
Doctors have advised people to quit smoking, use alternative energy for cooking and wear surgical masks to prevent themselves from the negative effects of pollution.
Nepal is at high risk of COPD, considering the data that one in three persons currently/or in the past smokes/smoked; and Nepal is one of the most polluted country in the world and that more than 10,000 Nepali people loose lives every year due to air pollution, said Dr. Dhungana.
The major symptoms of COPD are difficulty in breathing due to shortness of breath, frequent coughing (with yellow or white phlegm), increased breathlessness, tightness in chest and wheezing.
According to the WHO-Global Burden of Diseases (2016) data, more than 250 million people are affected by COPD worldwide and that around 3.1 million people die annually due to COPD.
COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of untimely deaths worldwide, and according to estimates, it could become the third leading cause of deaths by 2030, said Dr. Dhungana, adding that more than 90 per cent of COPD deaths occur in the least developed or low income countries.
Sadly, one in 10 persons in Nepal has COPD, and it is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Nepal.
Dr. Dhungana also highlighted the challenges to battle COPD in Nepal which include low level of public awareness on the disease as well as the harmful effects of tobacco smoking.
To generate awareness about the disease, every year COPD day is marked on Nov 20. This year’s theme for the day is ‘All together to end COPD’.