Respiratory Health Misconceptions
When we talk about health, there are a lot of things we are not sure of. As we learn new things about it, more and more “rumors” come up that contradicts what we have learned so far, making it hard for us to differentiate what is right from wrong. These rumors are called misconceptions. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, misconceptions are a wrong or inaccurate idea or conception. To inform and further your knowledge, what we are going to show you next are the misconceptions about health, specifically, the misconceptions concerning respiratory health.
There is a total of 3 topics about respiratory health misconceptions that you will see below. The first topic will be about smoking since it is the common cause of most respiratory diseases and illnesses. Next will be about lung cancer because when you hear the words, “respiratory health,” the first thing that would pop in your mind is your lungs. The final and third topic will be about COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease because it is one of the most common lung diseases that a person might have.
Top 2 Misconceptions About Smoking
1. “Occasional smoking won’t hurt me.” / “Smoking only a few cigarettes a day is okay.”
As said in Dangers in Respiratory Health, every cigarette you take is a step closer to your grave. If you smoke once a day, once a week, or even once a month, you will still be at risk. There are a lot of dangerous chemicals, such as nicotine, carbon monoxide, and cyanide, that might spread throughout your body with just a single inhale of a cigarette. So, don’t even think you will be safe with occasional smoking!
2. “It’s too late for me to quit.” / “I’ve smoked for years, won’t help to stop now.”
As the famous saying goes, “Better late than never!” When it comes to smoking, it is truly better to be late in quitting than to never quit at all. Whether you’re already old or just starting your teenage years, if you stop smoking, it will improve, not only your health, but also your lifestyle. When you decide to do this, you are giving yourself a chance to heal and decrease the risks of developing lung cancer and heart diseases.
Top 3 Misconceptions About Lung Cancer
1. “Only smokers get lung cancer.”
Although smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, it does not mean that only smokers will develop it. Most cases of lung cancer are developed by smoking, but 20% of deaths caused by lung cancer are people who did not smoke or use any tobacco products.
2. “I am too young to have lung cancer.”
Lung cancer might be more common in older people, but it does not mean that younger people are safe from it. In fact, Bronchioloalveolar Cancer (BAC), a form of lung cancer, develops increasingly among younger non-smoking women.
3. “Lung cancer is a death sentence.”
Although the survival rate of lung cancer is not completely positive, we can assure you that lung cancer is not a death sentence. It may not be entirely curable, but there are certain treatments and methods that offers long-term survival for lung cancer patients. These treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Top 5 Misconceptions About COPD
1. “You can’t live a normal life with COPD.”
Having a normal life while having COPD is not impossible. It is important to detect COPD early to develop a good treatment plan. But even if you don’t, there are still a lot of treatments or methods that can help you control your COPD symptoms and live a normal life.
2. “There are no symptoms for COPD.”
COPD might not be curable, but it is treatable. There are various treatments that can slow down the development of COPD in your body such as medicines, exercise trainings, pulmonary rehabilitation programs, nutritional and dietary advices, quitting smoking, and oxygen therapy.
3. “COPD is rare.”
The sad fact is COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease, cancer, and stroke. It turns out your lungs are a precious resource —just like your heart—and need to be protected throughout your life.
4. “COPD only strikes smokers.“
The main cause of COPD is smoking, as well as exposure to secondhand smoke. But not everyone with COPD is a current or former smoker.
Long-term exposure to pollutants is a problem and some occupations are riskier than others for lung health.
5. “COPD happens only to older people.”
People are often diagnosed with COPD in their 50s and 60s. However, these diagnoses are relatively late, when symptoms are so pronounced they can no longer be ignored, says Dr. Edelman.
In fact, COPD can begin in your 40s (and in rare cases your 20s and 30s). To find out if someone has COPD, a doctor can have a patient breathe into a tube hooked up to a spirometer, which measures how much air you exhale.
Vivus MD 