“COPD is treatable but widely ignored”: Fortis Mohali raises awareness on World COPD Day
World COPD Day is on 19th November
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, November 19, 2025: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, commonly referred to as COPD, is a disease that obstructs air flow from the lungs. Though the disease is easily treatable, awareness level about the health condition is comparatively low.
To spread awareness on the disease, World COPD Day is observed on 19th November every year. The theme for World COPD Day 2025 is ‘Short of Breath, Think COPD’, emphasizing on the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Zafar Ahmad Iqbal, Director, Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Studies, Fortis Hospital Mohali, in an advisory explains the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for COPD.
What is COPD?
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) develops when long-term exposure to harmful particles or gases irritates and damages the airways in the lungs. This leads to inflammation, narrowing of the air passages, and makes it difficult to breathe. “COPD often comes with other long-term illnesses that can make a person’s health worse. It can also suddenly flare up, causing periods of increased breathing trouble,” added Dr Zafar.
Symptoms
The disease is characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms such as cough with mucus, breathlessness etc. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, nausea, lack of energy, unintended weight loss and swelling in ankles, feet or legs.
Stating that the disease is diagnosed through clinical examination and confirmed by a spirometry test, Dr Zafar, added, “Symptoms of COPD require immediate medical intervention and should not be ignored.”
Risk factors
The main risk factor that causes COPD is smoking. Other factors include biomass fuel exposure, air pollution, genetic abnormalities, poor lung growth and accelerated ageing.
Treatment options
Treatment options include abstaining from smoking both active and passive, prevention of air pollution exposure, overmedication etc.
“The medication is given mainly through bronchodilator inhalers to avoid systemic adverse effects. Even though currently there is no cure for COPD, the disease can be prevented.
Without appropriate treatment, the disease can progress and further cause respiratory and cardiac failure, requiring prolonged oxygen and BiPAP support--a machine that helps a person with COPD to breathe,” added Dr Zafar.