World COPD Day celebration at Asian Hospital

Early in the morning, Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC) held a motorcade around Filinvest and Alabang Town Center in Muntinlupa. Afterwards, the AHMC Department of Internal Medicine Pulmonology Section offered free diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) using Spirometry. Their goal is to raise public awareness of COPD.

COPD is s debilitating, progressive disease that impacts patients' lives. People suffering from COPD do struggle to breathe well. Often complicated with anxiety and depression, COPD limits a patient's activity. Since COPD symptoms are dangerous, it may cause the patient's gradual inactivity. Its main symptom is shortness of breath or airflow limitation but most people with airflow obstruction do not recognize it. Others experience frequent coughing, sputum production, wheezing and chest tightness. Majority of COPD patients exhibit mixed features of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. so, leaving symptoms undertreated may cause them to worsen over time.



Spirometry Testing for COPD

Spirometry is an easy breathing test that measures how well the lungs are working and displays them in a graph. You will be asked to blow all the air out of your lungs into a mouthpiece that is connected to a machine called Spirometry.

Spirometry calculates the amount of air a person blows out of his lungs (forced vital capacity or FVC) and the forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1). The doctors can diagnose COPD and estimate how severe it is based on how a patient's FEV1 compared to the standard. The FEV1 percentage predicts how badly the airways are obstructed. By repeating lung function tests, doctors can assess if COPD is getting worse and tailor therapy according to the stage of the disease.

The Spirometry-based screening for COPD helps relieve stress. Diagnosing COPD at earlier stages may improve the lives of COPD patients and help extend their lives. Early detection can help patients to manage their struggle with breathing difficulties. Early detection can give that motivation to quit smoking and go into a pulmonary rehabilition program to relax the airway muscles. With proper diagnosis, affected individuals will receive the right treatments and follow-up monitoring. Therapy and pumonary rehabilitation in early stages reduces exacerbation and helps prolong life.

Do visit www.asianhospital.com for more information.

Pulmonary Services and Sleep Laboratory
4/F Lifestyle Medicine Center
Tower 1, Asian Hospital and Medical Center
2205 Civic Drive, Filinvest City
Alabang, Muntinlupa City 1700
(02)771-9000 local 5815 / 5911