If You Get Short of Breath Climbing Stairs: A Warning About the 3rd Leading Cause of Death

00:00 What if you get short of breath climbing stairs?

01:17 Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial

03:35 What causes COPD?

04:42 How is it diagnosed?

1. What if you get short of breath climbing stairs?

If you feel significantly more short of breath than others when climbing hills or stairs, or if you consistently experience one or more symptoms in your daily life such as frequent coughing, dyspnea (shortness of breath), or phlegm, you should pay close attention to this report. Doctors suggest that these symptoms are indicators that you need to visit a hospital for a lung function test. This is because they may point to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It is a chronic respiratory disease where the airways or alveoli are damaged—primarily due to smoking, air pollution, or lung infections—causing them to lose their normal function.

[Moon Ji-yong / Professor of Pulmonology and Allergy at Konkuk University Medical Center: Simply put, it is a disease where there is a restriction in the airflow through the breathing passages, the bronchi, and the airways. Because the airflow is obstructed, it is not only uncomfortable when inhaling, but even more difficult when exhaling, making it a disease where you become increasingly short of breath as you move.]

Although COPD is relatively less well-known in Korea, it is considered a major life-threatening disease globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that there are 251 million COPD patients worldwide, and 3.17 million people lose their lives to this disease every year. It is ranked as the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide, and in Korea, it is estimated that there are about 3 million patients, with the disease cited as the 9th leading cause of death.

2. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial

For COPD, early diagnosis and treatment are of the utmost importance. If left untreated, the lungs can deteriorate further, potentially leading to acute exacerbations that can result in death. Statistics show that among those hospitalized due to acute exacerbations, 50% pass away within three years, and 75% die after seven years.

[Moon Ji-yong / Professor of Pulmonology and Allergy at Konkuk University Medical Center: The most common causes of death we are familiar with are cancer, followed by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Excluding those vascular diseases and cancer, if we look at respiratory diseases as a leading cause of death, it can be considered the 3rd or 4th.]

You may have heard the saying, "Once the lungs are damaged, they cannot recover." COPD is known as a disease that is difficult to cure completely, but it is said that if treated early, one can live with almost no disruption to daily life. Park Sang-yong, a 67-year-old resident of Seoul, is one such case.

[Park Sang-yong / COPD Patient: I used to drive large cargo trucks for a long time. Back then, I smoked a lot while waiting or when traffic was jammed...]

Park smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for over 40 years and worked as a truck driver for 10 years, during which he was likely exposed to a significant amount of exhaust fumes. COPD treatment involves using an inhaler to dilate the bronchi, which alleviates symptoms with once-daily use. Having quit smoking and receiving treatment for four years, Park now faces almost no difficulties in his daily life.

[Park Sang-yong / COPD Patient: (Before) I was very short of breath. (When did you feel it the most?) When climbing hills or carrying heavy loads, I would get much more breathless than others. (But do you feel much better after receiving treatment now?) Yes, I definitely feel it. I don't have much trouble climbing stairs, and I'm fine when walking up hills.]

However, it is said that cases like Park's, where early diagnosis leads to treatment, are rare. The diagnosis rate is reportedly only in the 2% range, meaning that out of 1,000 patients, only about 20 are aware of their condition and receiving treatment.

3. What causes COPD?

So, what causes this disease? Medical staff at Konkuk University Medical Center in Seoul, who are conducting research on COPD, report that there is a significantly high number of taxi drivers among their patients. Smoking and exhaust fumes are presumed to be the main causes. Other causes include yellow dust and fine dust.

[Moon Ji-yong / Professor of Pulmonology and Allergy at Konkuk University Medical Center: Representative risk factors include smoking and old age. Following that are respiratory infections such as tuberculosis. Other environmental factors include exhaust fumes and air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, as well as occupational exposure—being exposed to poor air quality due to dust or chemicals. Also, those whose lungs did not develop properly during growth, or those who frequently suffered from asthma or respiratory infections in their youth, are at a higher risk of developing airflow obstruction as they grow older.]

Another notable point is that 13% of domestic patients have never smoked. Even if you do not smoke, if you have symptoms, it is necessary to visit a hospital for a check-up.

4. How is it diagnosed?

The lung function test for diagnosing COPD measures the amount of air exhaled after a deep inhalation.

[Inhale once more, and blow! Blow! Keep blowing. Inhale again.]

The good news is that starting this year, lung function tests for COPD have been included in the national health screening program. Those aged 56 and 66 will naturally receive the test during their national health check-ups. Even if you are not in those age groups and do not smoke, if you find yourself extremely short of breath when moving, it is recommended to find a hospital that offers the test. With health insurance coverage, the out-of-pocket cost for the test is around 30,000 won.

[Moon Ji-yong / Professor of Pulmonology and Allergy at Konkuk University Medical Center: Because it is a chronic disease, once it has progressed without treatment, it cannot be reversed to a normal state. Therefore, it is important to detect it early before the disease progresses and to take treatment or preventative measures to ensure it does not worsen.]

Reported by Han Sung-hee | Produced by Shin Hee-sook | Video by Choi Ho-jun | Video Editing by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News

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