Drawing attention to the importance of lung health on September 25, World Lung Day, Prof. Dr. Stating that lung diseases are an important cause of death worldwide, Şevket Özkaya said, "Lung cancer, asthma, COPD, tuberculosis, lower respiratory tract infections, especially pneumonia, and COVID-19 constitute the group of diseases that cause the most deaths in the world. Deaths due to infectious and non-infectious lung diseases constitute almost half of all deaths in total. Your lungs work like a filter of the external environment you live in. A normal person breathes 20 thousand times a day. "With each breath, approximately 500 ml, or half a liter, of external air comes to your lungs. This means that your lungs take in and clean approximately 10 thousand liters of air in your environment in a day. Many harmful substances, including air pollution, bacteria, allergens, cigarettes, dust, viruses and carcinogenic substances, come to your lungs with these 10 thousand liters of air and can cause diseases," he said.
"WE ARE FIGHTING SEVERAL VIRUSES AT THE SAME TIME"
Prof. stated that following the flu epidemic, which has increased recently with the opening of schools, many young and old patients have been admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of post-flu pneumonia. Dr. Şevket Özkaya said that most of these cases were seen after viral infections. Özkaya said, "After the flu epidemic, which has increased in recent days with the opening of schools, many young and old patients are admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of post-flu pneumonia. Most of these are viral infections, and COVID-19 still affects the society. Our people now get pneumonia very easily and they attribute this to the weakening of body resistance or the immune system. This is due to the fact that several viruses, such as flu, COVID-19 and RSV, are circulating in the society at the same time. It is no longer a single virus in the society that can make us sick, but several enemies." "We get pneumonia easily due to our struggle," he said.
"CASES OF LUNG CANCER AT YOUNG AGES ARE FEARING"
Pointing out the importance of reducing exposure to harmful substances, especially from childhood, in preventing lung diseases, Özkaya stated that lung cancer cases that start to occur at a young age and in non-smokers are being investigated. Özkaya said, "But what really scares us and is currently the subject of discussion all over the world is the young lung cancer cases that start to appear at a young age and are more fatal. The cause of this fatal lung cancer, which occurs especially in young people who do not smoke, is being investigated. We focus on the carcinogenic substances to which the lungs and the body are exposed, especially in young and childhood periods. The use of make-up materials containing carcinogenic substances at an early age, and both inhalation and oral intake of vegetables and fruits containing pesticides are considered risks. The World on September 25. "The slogan of Lung Day this year is 'Lifelong Lung Health' and it includes all kinds of actions, from supporting healthy lung development in childhood to protecting respiratory health throughout adulthood and old age," he said.
