The webpage from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) provides an analysis of air pollution as a significant global health risk. It details how air pollution contributes to severe health problems, including respiratory diseases and... increased mortality rates. The site explains different types of air pollution, such as ambient particulate matter and household air pollution, and their respective impacts on health. It emphasizes the global burden of disease caused by pollution, underscoring the importance of reducing exposure through policy and public health interventions to improve overall health outcomes.
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The document provides information on managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It emphasizes the importance of recognizing early symptoms such as persistent coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. The guide offers practical advice,... including quitting smoking, avoiding lung irritants, regular consultations with healthcare providers, and seeking support from friends and caregivers. It also highlights the value of preparing for medical visits, noting symptoms, understanding risk factors, and taking notes during appointments to maximize treatment effectiveness.
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The article from The Lancet Global Health discusses the "silent epidemic" of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Africa, emphasizing its status as an under-recognized yet significant health issue. Although COPD is the third leading cause... of death globally, it remains largely overlooked in African countries. The article highlights studies indicating varying prevalence rates of COPD across sub-Saharan Africa, with major risk factors including tobacco smoking and biomass smoke exposure. The findings suggest that COPD in Africa often affects younger age groups (30–40 years), likely due to early exposure to biomass smoke. The author calls for better education and training for healthcare providers and urges policymakers to address COPD through improved surveillance and effective prevention and treatment strategies.
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The article discusses the challenges and opportunities for lung health in Africa in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the strain on healthcare systems, the increase in chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD, and the limi...ted resources for managing these conditions. The pandemic has exacerbated issues like delayed diagnosis and treatment, while also impacting child lung health and increasing risks for those with tuberculosis. It emphasizes the importance of leveraging global partnerships and strategies to improve healthcare infrastructure and response in Africa.
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The World Health Organization's fact sheet on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - french version
The World Health Organization's fact sheet on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - russian version
The World Health Organization's fact sheet on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - spanish version
The document titled "Early Warning Signs of COPD" from the American Lung Association outlines what COPD is, its risk factors, and the importance of recognizing early symptoms such as persistent cough, breathlessness, and frequent chest infections. It emphasizes the need for early consultation with a... healthcare provider and diagnostic testing like spirometry to confirm COPD. Early diagnosis and treatment can help slow disease progression and improve quality of life.
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The document provides comprehensive guidance for people with COPD, covering treatment and medication management, oxygen therapy, mucus control, exercise, smoking cessation, nutrition, associated conditions, and strategies to prevent exacerbations. It emphasizes patient education, self-management, an...d working closely with healthcare providers to enhance well-being and control of the disease.
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The document provides practical guidance for individuals with COPD, covering topics such as medication management, oxygen therapy, mucus control, physical exercise, smoking cessation, nutrition, associated conditions, and how to prevent and manage exacerbations. It emphasizes the importance of patie...nt education, adherence to treatment plans, and collaboration with healthcare providers to improve quality of life and disease outcomes.
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The COPD Foundation's website provides a range of educational resources and downloadable materials aimed at helping patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals learn more about COPD, including information on prevention, treatment, and disease... management.
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The document "Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Handbook for Pharmacists" outlines the significant role pharmacists play in managing asthma and COPD, emphasizing patient education, disease prevention,... medication management, and promoting healthy lifestyles. It highlights the importance of pharmacists in supporting early detection, adherence to treatment, smoking cessation, and interprofessional collaboration to enhance respiratory care and outcomes.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease that requires differential diagnosis and proper classification to identify appropriate therapy. Nonpharmacologic therapy and prevent...ative measures should be utilized to prevent worsening of disease, symptoms, and complications. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines classify a patient’s COPD and provide recommendations for first-line treatment. The 2021 update included information regarding the use of e-cigarettes as nicotine replacement, triple therapy, and how the SARS-CoV-2 virus impacted patients with COPD. This article will focus on the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of COPD, as well as recently updated information regarding the use of e-cigarettes and the impact of COVID-19.
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Planning for public health emergencies should ensure that capabilities developed during previous emergencies are maintained, incorporated, and put into practice when a new event of public health concern arises. Investments in pandemic preparedness lead to more rapid detection and a stronger response... to public health threats, thereby shielding communities from the debilitating social and economic effects of epidemics and pandemics. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recognizes the efforts of countries in the Region of the Americas to develop and/or strengthen their respiratory pathogen pandemic plans. PAHO supports planning activities with tools and expertise, aligning these efforts with the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) initiative. The PRET initiative is an innovative approach to improving disease pandemic preparedness. It recognizes that the same systems, capacities, knowledge, and tools can be leveraged and applied for groups of pathogens based on their mode of transmission (respiratory, vector-borne, foodborne etc.). The PRET initiative incorporates the latest tools and approaches for shared learning and collective action established during the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent public health emergencies.
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The Indian Chest Society is a professional organization dedicated to promoting knowledge, research, and education in the field of pulmonology and respiratory diseases to enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of such conditions.
Caring for someone with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be complicated. This toolkit is designed to support caregivers like you. It answers five questions most COPD caregivers face at some point in their experience. Some sections ma...y apply to you more than others, so you can start wherever you’d like, based on your needs. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find some useful forms and checklists to help you prepare for doctor visits, track medications and vaccinations, develop a helpful contact list, and more.
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Asthma is the commonest chronic respiratory tract disease in children. In low-income countries, challenges exist in asthma diagnosis. In surveys done in children, the prevalence of ‘asthma’ defined by symptoms is high compared to ‘doctor diagn...osed asthma’. The questions answered by this review are What challenges have been experienced in the diagnosis of asthma in children? What solutions will address these challenges?
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Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions in the world and is increasing in prevalence, particularly in Africa and other low-income countries. The disproportionately high numbers of premature deaths and severe or uncontrolled cases in many African countries are indicative of th...eir inability to cope with a costly disease like asthma. Progress has, however, been made in understanding the complex and heterogeneous nature of the disease. The objective of this study will be to summarise the epidemiological literature on the nature of asthma in African countries.
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Air pollution from road traffic is a serious health hazard, and people with preexisting respiratory disease may be at increased risk. We investigated the effects of short-term exposure to diesel traffic in people with asthma in an urban, roadside en...vironment.
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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by airway hyper-responsiveness to a variety of stimuli largely of allergic origin with reversible airflow limitation. The major clinical features of asthma are wheezing, shortness of breath, and cough. It is a major cause of impaired quality o...f life with impact on work and recreational as well as physical activities and emotions. The goal of treatment is to achieve overall clinical control, which entails the achievement of symptom-free control and to minimize future risks. The goal is the same for all severity of the disease.
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