ASYOD Member Prof. Dr. Özlü: "A cough is an alarm"

ASYOD Board Member Prof. Dr. Tevfik Özlü said, “I am proud to be here with approximately 1,500 colleagues working in the field of chest diseases, all of whom are working to protect and improve our national lung health. I am deeply honored to be a member of such an association and to work behind the scenes. It is very important for our lung health and for our nation. 

We are not just gathering and discussing among ourselves as colleagues here. The real output of this congress is for our people, for society. Because the colleagues participating here—our specialists, our experts, our academics coming from every hospital in all 81 provinces of Turkey—are discussing, listening to, and asking questions about the newest treatment methods and the newest diagnostic methods in the field of chest diseases, both theoretically and practically.

They get their answers and return fully updated, and they use this information when examining their patients in their own hospitals on Monday or treating their patients on the ward. Therefore, the output of this congress will be directly reflected in the field starting from Monday for the protection, improvement, and treatment of our patients' lung health,” he said. Özlü emphasized that chest diseases are a very important branch for Turkey and for the world.

"CHEST DISEASES TREAT 4 OF THE 10 DEADLIEST DISEASES"

Emphasizing that 4 of the 10 diseases that kill the most people in the world today are treated by chest disease specialists, Özlü stated, “Lung cancers, COPD, lower respiratory tract infections, and tuberculosis are still among the 10 deadliest diseases in the world. Chest disease specialists treat 4 of these 10 diseases. During the pandemic period, we all saw how necessary chest disease specialists are for society,” he said.

Özlü pointed out that there has been a significant increase in the number of people applying to outpatient clinics recently due to prolonged coughs and spring allergies.

PROLONGED COUGHS

Providing information about prolonged coughs, Özlü said, “We are slowly leaving the winter season behind, and this winter we truly experienced more respiratory tract infections than other winters. There were flu infections in waves, both in children and adults; these include the flu virus, RSV, rhinovirus, and COVID.

There are other adenoviruses, but in the end, it is very difficult to distinguish them from each other. But they caught almost every home, all of us, everyone in society in waves, and we were all exposed to these types of illnesses. Some of those who had this illness have continuing, non-resolving, prolonged coughs. They are still continuing. Patients are still coming to us with this symptom,” he said.

"A COUGH IS AN ALARM"

Pointing out that the issue of prolonged coughs is important, Özlü said, “Generally, coughs seen during respiratory infections should heal and pass within 3-4 weeks. But if a cough lasts longer than 3 weeks, and especially if it lasts longer than 8 weeks, this is important. One should not say, ‘It is just a cough, it will pass.’

It must be investigated; the cause must be found. A cough is actually an alarm. It tells us that something is not right in our body, that things are going wrong, and that there is a problem somewhere. We need to take this alarm seriously. Turning off the alarm is not enough. In other words, just treating the cough is not enough.

We need to find the cause of the alarm. Why is this alarm ringing? We need to find that and provide treatment accordingly. I am saying that prolonged coughs should be taken seriously. Because these coughs really affect a person's daily quality of life. They affect sleep quality at night. People can really find themselves in difficult situations in public due to this cough. Therefore, these coughs must be taken into account, investigated, the cause found, and treated,” he said.

"SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY"

Mentioning that there could be many different reasons underlying long-term coughs, Özlü said, “There could be an allergic sensitivity. There could be a sensitization called post-infectious cough; in some, there could be conditions like asthma, reflux, or upper respiratory tract allergies. But regardless of what it is, I want to say that prolonged coughs should be taken seriously, a chest disease specialist should be consulted, and the cause should be found and treated,” he said.

SPRING ALLERGY

Emphasizing that some allergic conditions also emerge with the arrival of spring, Özlü said, “Spring months are happier days for all of us; the sun comes out, the trees turn green. But some people among us, atopic individuals, people with an atopic constitution, unfortunately cannot welcome spring with as much enthusiasm as we do. Because their symptoms started immediately. Their noses started running, they started sneezing.

Nasal congestion began. They are facing symptoms such as post-nasal drip, coughs, wheezing, shortness of breath, and conditions like watery, itchy eyes. With the arrival of the spring season, we see these seasonal allergies very often.

Especially in the context of this spring, we see them more often in the summer season. Patients express this very well. They say, ‘My illness starts when the trees start to turn green or start to bloom,’ and they immediately express their discomfort,” he explained.

"AFFECTS LIFE"

Stating that spring allergies are often linked to pollen, Özlü said, “Sometimes they can be triggered by other allergens without pollen. Changes in weather conditions, climate, humidity, or the density of other airborne allergens like house dust mites or fungi can increase. Depending on these, such seasonal allergies can emerge.

Seasonal allergies truly ruin a person's quality of life. They disrupt social harmony and nighttime sleep quality. We have patients who cannot sleep all night due to coughing. There are those who say, ‘I sneeze 30-40 times in a row, doctor, the sneezing doesn't stop.’ There is constant post-nasal drip.

There are those who say, ‘I can't seem to clear it.’ No matter how hard I try, I cannot get rid of the post-nasal drip. There are those who use various medicines, traditional herbal teas, syrups, and receive traditional treatments,” he said.

"CAN BE TREATED"

Underlining that it is possible to find the cause of spring allergies and treat them, Özlü stated, “Chest disease and allergy specialists now have much more powerful diagnostic methods at their disposal for this issue than in the past. We can find the cause of this allergy in these individuals by taking the necessary examinations and analyses and performing the necessary tests, and we can treat it. These people can live through spring just as healthily and fully as we do,” he explained.

News Source: 12punto