November 16 this year is World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic respiratory disease that seriously endangers human health. If not treated properly, it can eventually develop into cor pulmonale and respiratory failure. What is COPD? What are the symptoms of COPD? Who is susceptible to COPD? How to prevent? In this regard, the reporter of People's Network interviewed Professor Xu Xiaomao, the chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in Beijing Hospital. "The full name of COPD is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It seriously affects the quality of life of patients, is an important cause of death, and brings heavy economic burden to patients, their families and society." According to Professor Xu Xiaomao, the survey shows that the prevalence of COPD in adults aged 20 and above is 8.6%, and the prevalence of COPD in people aged 40 and above is as high as 13.7%. The onset of COPD is slow and the course of disease is long. Professor Xu Xiaomao said that cough, the earliest symptom of COPD, usually occurs in winter and spring, and is obvious in the morning or at night. Phlegm is also one of the early symptoms of COPD. When coughing, there will be a small amount of white sticky sputum. In the morning, there will be more sputum, and the amount of sputum increases with infection, usually purulent sputum. Dyspnea is a typical symptom of COPD. In the early stage of illness, patients will feel shortness of breath when working and exercising, and those with severe shortness of breath will feel shortness of breath and dyspnea even at rest. "At present, the etiology of COPD is not completely clear, and the risk factors that may cause COPD include individual susceptibility factors and environmental factors. Individual factors include genetics, age and gender, lung growth and development, bronchial asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness, low body mass index, etc. In terms of environmental factors, the high-risk factors of COPD mainly include smoking (including active and passive smoking), and biofuel inhalation (such as firewood, coal and animal excrement), exposure to occupational dust and chemical substances, air pollution and childhood respiratory tract infection. " Professor Xu Xiaomao said. "Long term smokers, elderly people with chronic cough, expectoration and wheezing symptoms, and people who are often exposed to polluted gases and dust are the high risk population of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute attacks or exacerbations. These people should go to the hospital regularly to check lung function, focus on prevention, and treat as soon as possible." Professor Xu Xiaomao suggested that smoking cessation is the most important measure to prevent COPD, which is helpful to prevent the occurrence and development of COPD. In addition, measures to prevent COPD include reducing the inhalation of occupational dust or harmful chemicals, reducing indoor and outdoor air pollution, preventing respiratory tract infection, and strengthening physical exercise and respiratory function exercise. (Outlook New Times)