Dangers of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (PPOK) in Children, Recognize the Symptoms!

Hello friend Hermina Bitung, do you know that Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or often abbreviated PPOK? This lung disease blocks airflow, causing sufferers to experience difficulty breathing. The danger is that many children who are exposed to PPOK are currently experiencing this danger. Before we get to know what are the symptoms of PPOK in children.

Symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (PPOK)

In general, the symptoms in children are almost the same as those in adults, but Friends of Hermina, especially parents, must know the symptoms of PPOK, namely:

1. Chronic cough with or without phlegm that doesn't go away

2. More often short of breath when doing light activities such as cooking or wearing clothes

3. Wheezing or breath sounds accompanied by sound

4. Weakness (loss of ability/productivity)

5. Feeling of heaviness in the chest

6. Weight loss

Risk Factors for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (PPOK)

Before looking at the symptoms experienced, parents should also know what the risk factors for PPOK are, so that children can prevent them, along with the risk factors for PPOK;

1. Smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke from the surrounding environment, Age, PPOK will develop slowly over many years. Symptoms of the disease generally appear in people aged 35-40 years

2. Air pollution, for example motor vehicle fumes, street dust, industrial exhaust gases, coal briquettes, volcanic ash, volcanic eruptions, forest fire smoke, mosquito coil smoke, firewood smoke, stove smoke, workplace pollution (chemicals, dust/irritants and toxic gases)

3. Heredity factors. If you have a family member with PPOK, then the sufferer has a higher risk of getting the same disease.

Lung problems that start in childhood tend to persist as children grow older. In addition, children who grew up around smokers or parents who smoked were more likely to become smokers.

Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (PPOK)

It is better to prevent the risk factors for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (PPOK) by means of;

1. If parents smoke, try to wash the clothes and trousers used immediately and the parents take a shower before holding the child so that they are not exposed to cigarette smoke.

2. Be aware of other hazards by carefully protecting yourself from chemicals, dust, and smoke at home and at work.

3. Recognizing signs of worsening PPOK COPD symptoms can be one way to prevent PPOK relapses from getting worse.

4. Getting nutritious food intake and avoiding taboos can help your condition get better. This is also one of the steps to prevent your PPOK symptoms from recurring.

5. The lifestyle that you can do to prevent PPOK is to eat smaller portions and more often might help overcome this problem. Your doctor may also recommend nutritional supplements to ensure that you are getting the important nutrients you need

If PPOK symptoms are getting worse, you can go to edr. Ismulat, SpP (Lung Specialist) at Hermina Bitung Hospital.

-Healthy Greetings-