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"Forgotten" Illness Affects 80,000

Wednesday 14 November 2007

Sufferers of an illness that claims nearly 800 lives a year in Northern Ireland are calling on the government and local politicians to pay more attention to their plight.
COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, affects 80,000 in this region alone - yet most people have never heard of it. Sufferers find themselves not only struggling to breathe, but also anxious, isolated and often unable to cope financially.

Sufferers of an illness that claims nearly 800 lives a year in Northern Ireland are calling on the government and local politicians to pay more attention to their plight.
COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, affects 80,000 in this region alone - yet most people have never heard of it. Sufferers find themselves not only struggling to breathe, but also anxious, isolated and often unable to cope financially.

According to Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke, there is no other illness that affects so many people yet is given such a relatively low priority by the Health Service.

The charity's Chief Executive, Andrew Dougal, said: "Many of those with COPD are confined to home, breathing with the help of an oxygen mask and finding great difficulty in doing something as straightforward as attending a hospital appointment. People have told us about suffering from depression as a result of their illness, and about the fact that even their families don't understand the condition."

NI Chest, Heart and Stroke has established a network of five Respiratory Support Co-ordinators, with the assistance of the Big Lottery Fund, to help COPD sufferers and their families across Northern Ireland. People are referred to the service by their GPs or other health professionals.

"Many people with COPD find that joining a support group has helped," said Mr Dougal. "Often it's enough to know that you are not alone, and that there are things they can do to manage their condition and reduce the number of times they are admitted to hospital. The government needs to look at this issue urgently, if for no other reason than the fact that COPD accounts for 28,000 hospital admissions each year in Northern Ireland, at a cost to the Health Service of £47m."

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 are usually more susceptible to chest infections, which further inhibit the body's ability to absorb oxygen into the bloodstream.

Sinead McCormick, Respiratory Co-ordinator with the charity, said: "Worldwide, COPD kills three million people every year, which puts it on a par with HIV/AIDS. The World Health Organisation predicts that it will be the fourth leading cause of death globally by 2030. But while COPD can't be cured, it can be managed, and sufferers can lead full and active lives if they are given the right support and most effective treatment to manage their symptoms."

World COPD Day is on November 14, 2007. NI Chest, Heart and Stroke and local respiratory support groups are holding awareness events as follows:

Monday, 12th November
- Richmond Centre, Derry (with Foyle Respiratory Support Group)
Wednesday, 14th November
- Falls Leisure Centre, Belfast (with North and West Belfast Respiratory Team)
- Larne Town Centre (with Larne Respiratory Support Group)
- Magherafelt (with Magherfelt Respiratory Support Group)
- Asda Downpatrick (with Down Respiratory Support Group)
- Curley's Supermarket, (with Armagh/Dungannon Respiratory Support Group)

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