Health news

DO YOU HAVE UNDIAGNOSED COPD?

According to experts in the area of respiratory disease, half of the 500,000 people in Ireland estimated to have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are undiagnosed. Not being informed means they are missing out on the chance to manage and improve their condition. COPD Support Ireland wants people to take control of their COPD, to get a proper diagnosis and an important first step is to call the free COPD Adviceline at 1800 832 146 or the free Asthma Adviceline at 1800 445 464. This will put people with concerns about COPD in contact with a respiratory nurse, who can tell them about the condition and the steps they can take to manage their COPD and avoid common triggers of serious respiratory distress.

The nurse specialists can help with what to do in the event of COPD emergency, the signs and symptoms of COPD, answer questions after a GP or consultant appointment, deal with triggers that may cause a serious escalation and help you create a COPD self-management plan, including smoking cessation and safe exercise plans.

WHAT IS COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease that makes it hard to empty air out of your lungs. This is because the airways get smaller leading to airflow obstruction. This can result in shortness of breath or tiredness because you are working harder to breathe. People can experience COPD in different ways depending on which symptoms trouble them most and how severe they are. COPD is a progressive illness meaning it has several stages of severity. It tends to creep up on people slowly. Symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath are often attributed to getting older. This means it can be several years before symptoms reach a point that will make the sufferer go to the GP.