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80,000 HIT BY LUNG DISEASE WITH NO CURE

Thursday 16 November 2006


It is Northern Ireland’s forgotten illness – and yet 80,000 people here suffer from it. It results in 28,000 hospital admissions each year, costing around £47m. But most people have never heard of it.

It is Northern Ireland’s forgotten illness – and yet 80,000 people here suffer from it. It results in 28,000 hospital admissions each year, costing around £47m. But most people have never heard of it.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which affects the lungs, kills three million people worldwide each year, putting it on a par with HIV/AIDS. It has no cure, and the lives of those who have it are often dictated by breathlessness, exhaustion, and the quality of air outside – particularly during the winter months. Yet it can be prevented, and it is possible for sufferers to lead full and active lives.

In a bid to draw attention to the condition, NI Chest, Heart and Stroke held a conference in Cookstown entitled “Breathless, not Helpless”, featuring medical specialists and people affected by COPD, on World COPD Day, November 15.

The charity’s Director of Health, Myrtle Neill, one of the speakers at the conference, said: “COPD is a debilitating illness, but with the help of modern drug treatment, physiotherapy and good management of their own daily timetable, sufferers can live rewarding lives. Having said that, however, everyday activities such as getting out of bed, climbing stairs, or even getting washed and dressed in the morning are a huge struggle for thousands of people. It can also be quite a frightening illness – and when you can’t breathe, nothing else in the world matters. One of the great ironies of COPD is that physical activity can help lessen some of the symptoms, but that same activity can be severely limited by the condition.”

NI Chest, Heart and Stroke supports a number of self-help groups around Northern Ireland for those affected.
The most common risk factor for COPD is smoking, but some sufferers have never smoked. Other risks include dust and chemicals encountered while working, and smoke from biomass fuels such as coal and wood.

COPD is an umbrella term covering a range of lung conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. What they all have in common is that they cause damage to the airways. Sufferers may need inhaler or oxygen treatment and are usually more susceptible to chest infections, which further inhibit the body’s ability to absorb oxygen into the bloodstream.

Sinead McCormick, Cardiac and Respiratory Co-ordinator with NI Chest, Heart and Stroke, said: “While COPD cannot be cured, its symptoms can be treated. It is vital to give up smoking and, if possible, avoid other people’s smoke. Many COPD sufferers are looking forward to the introduction of the smoke-free workplace legislation next year. Eating a healthy diet is also essential, as is having the annual flu and pneumococcal vaccinations. Exercise, when people can manage it, can also help strengthen the lungs and heart.”

The charity has a helpline for anyone affected by the condition – 08457 697299.

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