COPD patients should be cautious in winter: Medical Doctors

By Mahima Devkota, Kathmandu, Dec.15: Medical doctors warned people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)  to be extra cautious during the winter season. 

Dr Ashesh Dhungana, Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Bir Hospital, said that people with COPD experience one or more respiratory symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, breathlessness, wheezing and coughing, difficulty in motion due to restriction in oxygen flow in the lungs, and these symptoms are twice as likely for COPD symptoms to worsen during winter.

He said, “People with COPD need to be extra cautious in winter season because they are prone to respiratory turbulence such as colds, flu, in winter and which further exacerbates COPD.” 

He said that when the temperature drops, the body has to work even harder to maintain warmth. The blood vessels begin to narrow in the extreme cold. This restricts blood flow and deprives your heart of oxygen. This means the lungs have to extra harder to provide oxygen through the bloodstream. As a result, COPD experiences worsened symptoms. 

Along with this, physical activity and exercise are decreased in the winter season. Because of this, oxygen and blood flow are restricted increasing symptoms of COPD. 

Sharing his experience, Dr Dhungana said that the flow of COPD patients along with people having tuberculosis and asthama in the winter season is twice as hot weather. Generally, daily 15-20 COPD and other respiratory issues visit the hospital in winter which is 5-7 in hot weather. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over three million people die each from COPD. 

A study conducted by Health Research Council, in 2019 showed that 16.4 per cent population in Madhes Province, 14.3 per cent in Sudan Paschim province, 11.7 per cent in Bagmati Province, 9.5 per cent in Lumbini province, 6.2 per cent in Province 1 and 6 per cent in Gandaki Province suffers from COPD in Nepal. 

Dr Niraj Bam, Assistant Professor at the Teaching Hospital said that people with COPD are more at risk during the winter season because of bronchitis irritation and exacerbating symptoms of flu, cough and cold, causing difficulty in breathing. 

Along with this, people with COPD face higher rates of hospitalization and exacerbation and worse quality of life during winter seasons. 

Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, an infectious disease specialist working at Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, said that wearing masks, taking medicines and inhalers before stepping out, breathing through the nose, and maintaining light exercise can prevent worsening COPD.