Newsletters
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, remains one of the world’s leading causes of death, and specialists warn that the illness also raises the risk of pneumonia, especially for people over 65.
Prof. Dr. Sait Karakurt from the Chest Diseases Clinic said COPD is common in society and affects around 10% of the population. He described it as a disease caused by harmful substances damaging lung tissue, with smoking standing out as the main driver behind roughly 85% of cases.
He also pointed to air pollution, workplace exposure to chemical substances and infections among the other causes linked to the disease. Stressing its global impact, Karakurt said COPD ranks fourth on the World Health Organization’s list of the top 10 diseases causing death worldwide.
Karakurt said COPD damages lung tissue in a way that leaves patients more vulnerable to infection and makes recovery harder once infection sets in. In patients with COPD, pneumonia can show up through worsening cough, increased phlegm and rising shortness of breath.
He said a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius, chills, worsening breathing problems and signs of confusion may point to pneumonia, adding that patients should seek medical help early when such symptoms appear.
Karakurt said bronchitis and pneumonia can both bring on cough, phlegm and fever, but the two conditions need to be told apart carefully.
He explained that bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi, the airways that carry air into the lungs, while pneumonia affects the alveoli, the tiny air sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. While death is rarely seen in bronchitis, he said pneumonia is more dangerous and carries a mortality rate of about 10%, with that risk rising with age.
He added that high fever, confusion, faster breathing and bluish discoloration may all suggest pneumonia, and said people showing such signs should go to a health care facility as soon as possible.
Karakurt underlined the importance of vaccination against pneumonia, saying it is especially important for groups already at greater risk. He said the risk of pneumonia generally rises in children under 5 and adults over 65.
He also noted that pneumonia is seen more often in people with problems related to consciousness, such as stroke, or swallowing difficulties linked to certain muscle diseases. Because of closer living conditions, he added, the illness is also more common during winter.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
4 min read
