|
Tell
us what you think about this series, about health care in the
state, or how to improve the quality of life in Appalachia. Send
us your comments now to weku@eku.edu,
or to Simple Changes, WEKU, 102 Perkins Building, 521 Lancaster
Avenue, Richmond, KY 40475.
Simple
Changes is a year-long exploration of chronic illness in Appalachian
Kentucky produced by public radio station WEKU and Pattie A. Clay
Regional Medical Center in Richmond, Kentucky. The project is
funded by Sound
Partners for Community Health. |
|
![]() |
|
According
to the Centers for Disease Control, chronic illness is among the
most common and costly health problems. They are also among the
most preventable.
So
what is a chronic disease? Medical experts define it as a condition
that lasts a year or longer, limits what a person can do, and
won't go away on its own.
If
you live in the Appalachian counties of southeastern Kentucky,
your chance of having a chronic health problem is generally far
greater than if you live in other parts of the United States.
While
many chronic diseases are present in the region, here is some
information to help you understand some of the most prominent
conditions.
| COPD |
|
|
|
|
| |
Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a term used to define
chronic lung disorders that restrict airways and cause breathing-related
problems. The most common types of COPD are emphysema and
chronic bronchitis. Emphysema restricts the lungs' air sacs,
making breathing difficult. Bronchitis causes the lungs' airways
to narrow and become congested with mucus. The primary causes
of COPD are tobacco use, exposure to air pollution and respiratory
infections. |
|
|
Are
you at risk for developing a chronic lung disease? Take
our quick
quiz now.
Patient
Profile |
|
Janet
Costilow |
Costilow,
58, of Berea, had emphysema for 14 years. After her
lung capacity decreased to 10-percent, she had a lung
transplant in 1999. Costilow calls her COPD "pure
hell. It's like if you would close off your nose and
maybe put a cocktail straw in your mouth and try to
breathe through that straw and at the same time run
a race. You can imagine how short of breath you would
get." She attributes her emphysema to smoking
for 35 years. 
Listen
to her story. |
|
| Risk
Factors |
|
|
| |
If
you smoke; inhale chemicals and pollutions over prolonged
periods; have asthma, chronic lung infections or lack the
genetic protien alpha1-antitrypsin; have a family history
of COPD |
|
|
| Signs
of COPD |
|
|
| |
Chronic
cough, wheezing or shortness of breath, swelling of the legs
and feet |
|
|
| COPD
in Kentucky |
|
|
| |
Each
day, 178 Kentuckians are hospitalized for respiratory diseases
including COPD. In 1997, the state's age-adjusted COPD death
rate was fifth highest in the nation. COPD disproportionately
affects older and female Kentuckians. See county
by county statistics for lung diseases in the state. |
|
|
| Learn
More About COPD |
|
|
| • |
Listen
as a panel of medical experts discusses COPD |
|
|
| • |
Printable
Brochure about COPD (requires Adobe Acrobat
Reader) |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| • |
American
Lung Association COPD
Facts |
|
|
| • |
Interactive
Tutorial about COPD |
|
|
| • |
Living
with COPD |
|
|
| • |
Caring
for a Family
Member with COPD |
|
|
| • |
Dietary
Tips for COPD Patients |
|
|
| • |
Take
the ALA's Lung
Profiler |
|
|
|
