My Take On The Importance Of COPD Advocacy
Here’s my take on the topic of COPD advocacy. I know this topic has been written about before. In fact, you see a post on this topic every year on this site. And that’s okay. This topic is worth repeating over and over again. Why?
Everyone is important
Simply put, it’s because every person with COPD is important. Truly, that’s the bottom line. Every person with COPD is important. And every person in the world of those with COPD is important too. This includes spouses, children, and caregivers. This also includes nurses, respiratory therapists like me, and doctors.
It’s affects many people
In the U.S. 15.7 million people have it. That’s 6% of the U.S. population. Worldwide, 251 million people have it. Some experts pin this number as high as 321 million. That’s 5% of the world’s population. So, a lot of people have a COPD diagnosis.1-4
Millions more have it but don’t know it yet. I found this statistic pretty stunning. You may not believe it either. But, the numbers I just listed in #1 represent only 20-30% of those who actually have COPD. At least that’s what researchers think. This means there are millions of people with COPD who do not even know it yet.3
We already know that 329 million people have it, and probably lots more than that. Often times people living with COPD rely on family and friends for support. Many others are involved in COPD research. Others (myself included) are involved in education and sharing the word about COPD. So, all around, there are a ton of people affected by COPD.
It’s also often a misdiagnosis
You read that right. It seems that when people present with shortness of breath, a diagnosis of COPD is often made. Often times this is the correct diagnosis. But, researchers suspect that anywhere from 30-60% of people with a COPD diagnosis do not have it. So, this means better strategies must be developed to help doctors differentiate COPD from other similar conditions. This is important because proper diagnosis is necessary to get proper treatment for symptoms.5
An underfunded disease
Despite all those affected, COPD remains an underfunded disease. By this, I mean that government and private monies are certainly donated to our cause. But, compared with other chronic diseases, COPD remains underfunded. There are many studies and clinical trials that are ongoing to learn more about our disease. But there’s a lot about our disease that has yet to be learned. So, this means a lot more money is needed. We need lots of help here.4
Causes and prevention
Too often, people think that cigarette smoke is the only cause. Sure, it’s the most common cause. But there are other causes too. Air pollution can cause it. Fumes and specks of dust in the air at your work can cause it. Efforts are being made to learn more about potential causes and strategies for reducing exposure to them. But there’s a lot more work to be done.
COPD is a preventable disease. I should say, most cases are preventable. Some people have genetic COPD. In this case, they may develop it regardless of how they live their lives. But, most experts believe 98% of COPD cases are caused by chronic exposure to harmful substances in the air around them. They believe all or at least most of these cases are preventable. Focus on this area is what will prevent our kids and grandkids from getting COPD.
Improving treatment
Better treatment is always a goal. COPD is a chronic disease, meaning it will always be there. Current treatment is available to help slow the progression and allay symptoms. We do have some great treatment options today compared to the past. Still, there is this ongoing quest to discover better treatment options. There is this ongoing quest to discover a cure. This is what’s needed to help those currently living with it. And, as always, the goal here is to help everyone with COPD live better and live longer despite their diagnosis.
Importance of early diagnosis
There needs to be an emphasis on diagnosing earlier. This is something I think researchers are really honing in on. Most people with COPD do not seek help until they are experiencing symptoms, such as an ongoing cough or increasing shortness of breath. This is because symptoms may not present themselves until the later stages of the disease. In my mind, this is too late. COPD must be diagnosed in the early stages. It must be diagnosed before symptoms present themselves. So, researchers are working on better screening criteria to help doctors better recognize COPD in the earlier stages. This is important because an early diagnosis followed by aggressive treatment is the best way to slow the progression of this disease.
So, that’s my take on the importance of COPD advocacy. What do you think about this subject? What else can we do to get the word out? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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