By Carol Johnson, COPD Foundation
I'm proud to lead the Lace-Up for Lungs program at the COPD Foundation and even more proud to say that we have outstanding Captains and community members like you for whom the program makes a difference.
Our Facebook challenge to Lace-Up for Lungs and move 31 minutes for 31 days in October brought together close to 1,000 individuals with a common goal to move for a cause and encourage awareness, donations, and support for programs, research, and community care. Thank you to all those who joined us and rallied for a worthy cause. Check out their posts here: https://lnkd.in/ghVwp5Zp
Although today ends our October Challenge, tomorrow is the start of COPD Awareness Month. All month long, we will support the campaign, Lace-Up for Lungs: Let’s Outpace COPD, as we raise awareness for better breathing and lung health and encourage early diagnosis.
Did you know that according to the World Health Organization, more than 380 million people worldwide have COPD1? That includes millions in the U.S., Many of them have symptoms yet are unaware they have the disease. Coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and unusual tiredness can be signs that it's time to see a doctor and get tested.
The truth is that Anyone Can Get COPD. There is a common misconception that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is “just a smoker’s disease,” but did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 4 people never smoked2?
COPD is one of the top three causes of death worldwide, and ANYONE CAN GET COPD.
A new report from the Lancet Commission on COPD highlights that there are many ways to get the disease3. Here are some of the ways that COPD can develop:
- COPD can be related to early-life events such as premature birth, secondhand smoke, and childhood asthma.
- COPD can be related to tobacco smoke, secondhand smoke, vaping or e-cigarette use, and cannabis use.
- COPD can be genetic, including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and other genetic mutations.
- COPD can be related to environmental and occupational factors from particles or gases, smoke exposure, occupational dust, fumes, or inhalants, and other indoor and outdoor air pollutants.
COPD can also be related to infection from childhood respiratory infections, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other means.
Don’t dismiss your symptoms. Take this 5-question risk screener: https://lnkd.in/gKRYa9vF
Then see your health care provider.
How Can You Get Involved? I'm glad you asked:
Remember, if you or someone you know has symptoms of COPD:
When in doubt, check it out!!
#LaceUpforLungs #COPD #volunteer #advocacy #research #lungs
1.Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Published June 21, 2021. Accessed October 25,2022.https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-(copd)
2 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), (2022, May 5). How is Smoking Related to COPD? CDC.gov. Retrieved Oct. 17, 2022 from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/copd.html.
3 Stoltz, D. et al. Towards the elimination of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a Lancet Commission. The Lancet Commissions. 2022; 400(10356): 921-972. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01273-9
