Mr.X was a smoker and knew it was bad for his lungs. But he was more scared about having a heart attack. So he took an ECG every year but it was always normal, and his chest x-rays were clear. Even though he was getting breathless and coughing a lot, he thought it was a normal smoker’s cough. He ignored it till he reached a stage where he couldn’t walk far without breathing difficulty. Now he has given up smoking, and is on treatment for COPD. It was tough to quit smoking, but with willpower he succeeded.
He now feels much happier and goes for his morning walk comfortably. COPD is the short form for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. “Chronic” means that it will not go away. “Obstructive” means partly blocked. “Pulmonary” means in the lungs. This means that you need long-term treatment for a disease that is causing some blockage in your lungs. The air tubes which carry air in and…
