COPD Support Ireland is embarking on a nationwide roadshow to spread the word about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to mark World COPD Day.
The COPD & Me Roadshow will visit the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick city on Tuesday, November 19, between 9:30am and 11:30am ahead of World COPD Day on Wednesday, November 20.
The health initiative will see a team of COPD health professionals offering free spirometry testing.
Spirometry is a simple and painless breathing test where a person breathes into a device called a spirometer, which measures the amount of air a person can blow out of their lungs in one second, and the total amount of air a person can blow out, to see if there is an obstruction to breathing air out of the lungs.
The test will be performed by a respiratory physiologist, with a specialist healthcare professional also on hand to provide health information and advise people on next steps.
COPD Support Ireland advises anyone with symptoms of breathlessness and ongoing cough, with or without phlegm, to ask their GP about having a spirometry test performed.
GP practices in many places around the country now have direct access to HSE Spirometry Services testing in their local Integrated Care Hubs.
A new booklet, COPD & Me, has also been published by COPD Support Ireland. An “essential guide to living with COPD”, the booklet is full of information, advice and tips, from diagnosis and treatment, to exercise and nutrition, to mental health and well-being.
For full details of all roadshow dates and locations countrywide, or to download or order a copy of the COPD & Me booklet, visit www.copd.ie
Latest figures show that between 2020 and 2022, there were 1,145 hospital admissions of people from Limerick due to COPD.
According to the National Healthcare Quality Reporting System Report 2021/2022, it is estimated that there are 380,000 people living with COPD in Ireland, yet only 110,000 people are thought to have had a formal diagnosis.
Marie Hennessy, a Corbally native, was diagnosed with COPD in 2004.
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She explained: “Initially, I was put on an inhaler, with a second inhaler to use when necessary. Over the years other medications were added. I also take a low-dose antibiotic each morning and I use saline in my nebuliser twice a day. I get several chest infections throughout the year which necessitates me going on antibiotics and steroids”.
“I have a very supportive family and a very dedicated GP. I have been lucky in that my condition has not deteriorated to any great extent over the years and has not interfered too much with my lifestyle. It is only this year that I notice a shortness of breath after moderate exercise,” she continued.
“I still take walks but I might have to stop for a rest along the way. I attend a COPD group for exercise each week. I also sing in a choir which is very beneficial for breathing. I am in a number of other groups which helps my mental health too.”
Marie is a member of the Limerick COPD Support Group.
Associate professor Stanley Miller, consultant respiratory physician and chair of COPD Support Ireland, explains COPD, its symptoms, and diagnosis: “COPD is an umbrella term that includes both emphysema, which is damage to the air sacs in the lungs, and chronic bronchitis, which is inflammation of the airways. This is where air moves into the lungs reasonably well, but there is difficulty or obstruction to the air moving out of the lungs efficiently, which causes people with COPD to feel breathless. The diagnosis of COPD is made by identifying the symptoms of shortness of breath and long-standing cough, with or without phlegm, along with a risk factor such as smoking, and then confirming the diagnosis with a breathing test called spirometry.
“While COPD is not curable, it is treatable. Specialist HSE respiratory teams in Integrated Care Hubs are helping thousands of people with COPD to be treated closer to home. By combining health professional management with self-management strategies, people with COPD can go a long way to living the life they wish to live.”
Joan Johnston, general manager, COPD Support Ireland, urged people to become more familiar with the symptoms of COPD, and to get checked out if they have concerns: “We know that so many people have COPD in this country, yet the vast majority have no idea. This is possibly because they are putting symptoms down to getting older or because they are in the early stages of disease and symptoms are not yet obvious to them. However, we do know that early diagnosis means we can do more to improve quality of life. Too many people are suffering unnecessarily and dying prematurely from a disease that is preventable and treatable.
“That’s why World COPD Day is so important in shining a spotlight on this disease and highlighting what we can do to mind ourselves better if we have a breathing problem. If you have ongoing breathlessness and a cough, with or without phlegm, do get checked out by your GP and ask about a spirometry breathing test. If you receive, or have already had a diagnosis of COPD, I’d encourage you to join COPD Support Ireland. There is so much we can offer to support you.”
Anyone worried about COPD can call the COPD Advice Line on Freefone 1800 832 146 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) to receive a call back from a respiratory health professional who can answer questions and refer people to local supports.
The COPD & Me Roadshow is supported by GSK, Vitalograph, AstraZeneca & A Menarini.