Within the framework of World Lung Day and the National Pulmonologist Day, the two dates celebrated on September 25 of each year, the Pulmonology specialists of “Dr. Ramón Madariaga” promotes the prevention and early detection of respiratory diseases to avoid health complications.
In this sense, Dr. Susana Azcona, Head of the Pulmonology Service at the Hospital Escuela, mentioned that the purpose of making these days visible is to encourage actions to improve respiratory health in the world, as well as the early detection of pathologies in lungs to prevent their diseases. development and complications of the sick person, their environment and society.
Why is respiratory health monitoring important?
The professional explained that respiratory diseases are usually preventable. Medical control and monitoring of the lungs help to find an accurate diagnosis and take the necessary steps to prevent more serious conditions, control symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Regarding the early respiratory symptoms, Azcona explained that they cough, expectoration, wheezing and difficulty breathing. “Inside homes, tobacco smoke is an important pollutant; It is not enough to ventilate the environments because the air current does not wash away all the particles that are generated,” he added. If there are any of these symptoms, it is important to consult a professional.
Regarding the most frequent and preventable pathologies, Azcona clarified that it is COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), characterized by progressive limitation of air entering the lungs, and pneumonia.
“The main risk factor for COPD is smoking“, stated the professional, while explaining that “early detection and treatment can help improve the quality of life of people who suffer from it.” People exposed to environments with contaminated air are the most high risk group.
Pneumonia, on the other hand, is the leading cause of death from infection in children worldwide. Prevention is important because any serious lower respiratory tract infection can affect lung development.
Finally, the professional emphasizes that Vaccines are very important to prevent bacterial and viral cases of pneumonia, reducing diseases, deaths and spending on national health care. Full coverage of PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) will prevent the death of 1.6 million children under 5 years of age by 2030.
