Chronic Respiratory Illness

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the world’s third leading cause of death and is classified by restricted airflow and issues breathing. They are separated into two diseases: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In chronic bronchitis, the bronchial tubes or airways are inflamed and irritated whereas emphysema is caused by irreparable damage to the lungs’ air sacs or ‘alveoli’. Both diseases worsen over time and although not curable, lifestyle choices and medical treatments are available to manage the accompanying symptoms. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include: wheezing, a ‘wet’, persistent cough and tightening of the chest. Symptoms of emphysema are similar, but damage to the air sacs versus damage to the airway in emphysema and chronic bronchitis respectively distinguish the two from each other. The surface of the air sacs is responsible for carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange. Any deficiencies in this results in a chain reaction leading to difficulty breathing and shortness of breath for persons who suffer with emphysema. Small hair-like projections called cilia line the airways leading to the lungs. They are responsible for removing trapped, foreign particles out of the lungs via mucus. Damage to these cilia leads to the ‘wet’ defining cough in persons who suffer from chronic bronchitis. 

COPDs are common in persons who smoke persistently, have prolonged exposure to harmful chemicals, dusts and indoor air pollution, a history of respiratory illness including asthma and, less commonly, genetic predisposition. There is not much research available for COPDs in Barbados nor the region, but a study published in 2022 showed an 8.9% COPD prevalence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Men’s prevalence rate was twice as high in comparison to women at 13.7% and 6.7% respectively, while 24.3% prevalence rate was seen in current and ex-smokers.