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World Lung Day 2022: All About The National Clean Air Program

World Lung Day 2022: All About The National Clean Air Program
Then, treat appropriately so that the child does not progress inevitably along the march to asthma or allergic rhinitis and remains well controlled. This halting of the atopic march will begin as early as infancy when the atopic dermatitis is treated and maintained well.

Dr Pankaj Gulati shares all about the testing for asthma, bronchitis and lung cancer.

Written by Tavishi Dogra |Updated : September 24, 2022 8:31 PM IST

World Lung Day 2022: Air pollution has become a significant problem and has been called one of the greatest evils of our times in today's world. When comparing 2017 and 2018, air pollution was the leading cause of death for over a million people in India. Previously, respiratory problems were mostly limited to smoking but now smoking, emissions from motor vehicles, industrial pollution, fires, electricity generation, and poor sustainability are among the significant causes of air pollution. In addition, tobacco smoking, Zarda, Pan Masala, areca, betel nuts, alcohol, processed meats, salted fish (Chinese style), the Hepatitis B and C viruses, and other factors are among the approximately 120 carcinogenic agents that are recognised as sources of air pollutants.

National Clean Air Program (NCAP)

The Indian government recently implemented the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) to decrease dangerous particulate matter pollution by 20-30% by 2024. This goal was set by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) (compared to 2017 levels). However, citizens do have an obligation to take care of themselves by undergoing regular medical examinations. Historically, men were the only ones diagnosed with lung cancer because they were the predominant smokers; however, this trend has reversed in recent decades as more women have taken up smoking.

Dr Pankaj Gulati, Senior Pulmonologist, Shalby Hospitals Jaipur shares all about the testing for asthma, bronchitis and lung cancer

Testing For Asthma

  • Long-term inflammation may cause various malignancies. In addition, asthma-related lung inflammation may collaborate with other factors to increase lung cancer risk. Spirometry is a standard breathing examination that determines how much and quickly an individual can blow air from their lungs. In addition, exhaled nitric oxide testing for the diagnosis and management of asthma is used to evaluate the effectiveness of asthma medicine for a given patient.
  • Nitric oxide, a gas generated in the lungs, is a biomarker for inflammation. If your symptoms and screening spirometry don't point to asthma, a doctor may recommend a challenge test, such as methacholine or mannitol, to be sure. The term "pulmonary function testing" encompasses a wide variety of diagnostic procedures (or "lung function tests").

Testing For Bronchitis

Spirometry, a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia or other causes of a persistent cough, and a test of the lung mucus to determine whether or not antibiotics will help diagnose bronchitis are all useful diagnostic tools. The mucus can be tested in a lab to determine if it is an allergy or contagious whooping cough (pertussis). It is easy for bronchitis to go undiagnosed because its symptoms are similar to the common cold.

Testing For Lung Cancer

Screening may be able to detect some cases of lung cancer, but the vast majority of cases are only discovered after they have already begun to manifest symptoms. For example, if a routine physical exam reveals swollen lymph nodes above the collarbone; unequal pupils; drooping eyelids; weakness in one arm; expanded veins in the arms, chest, or neck; and swelling of the face, amongst other symptoms, one should immediately test for lung cancer. A tissue sample taken from the affected area is analysed in a laboratory to determine whether or not the patient has lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Diagnosis

The diagnosis of cancer often requires the removal of cells from the body and their subsequent examination under a microscope. Sputum cytology, Thoracentesis, Thoracoscopy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) biopsy, Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, Open biopsy, Mediastinoscopy and mediastinotomy, Endoscopic bronchoscopy, Endoscopic oesophagal ultrasound, Endoscopic oesophageal ultrasound, Bronchoscopy biopsy, Endoscopic ultrasound of the oesophagus, etc.

Lung Cancer Screenings

Lung cancer screenings aim to identify the disease at its earliest, most treatable stages. Doctors use a low-dose computerised tomography (LDCT) scan of the lungs to check for cancers. When symptoms of lung cancer first appear, the condition is often already too far along for curative treatment.

Conclusion:Because breathing is crucial to one's ability to live, the lungs impact bodily function. Therefore, it should be everyone's goal to have clean air and make the globe free of people with lung cancer.