People with lung conditions like COPD and asthma are often breathless. Damage to airways and lung tissue means that the lungs fail to empty properly, a process called gas-trapping. Because their airways have narrowed and they have lost elastic recoil in their lungs, it is more difficult to exhale. They may start to breathe in […]
Lung disease is a major killer in the UK and it’s crucial to get early diagnosis and treatment. Sadly, too many people ignore signs like unusual breathlessness and chronic coughing and doctors may take it for granted too. I hold my hands up. I was blasé when I felt uncharacteristically breathless climbing steps last year […]
Singing carols at Christmas is a pleasure enjoyed by many, but singing of all kinds can be a health boon too – especially when it comes to lung disease. As well as improving morale and ‘feel good factor’ singing regularly as part of an organised group can have a range of positive effects brought about […]
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating disease which occurs when tissue deep inside the lungs becomes thick and scarred. This scarring, known a fibrosis, makes it harder to breathe and get sufficient oxygen into the bloodstream. Although there is a great deal which we don’t know about it, including the reason why it happens, we […]
I would like to thank Public Health England and the British Lung Foundation, in helping to raise awareness about the symptoms of lung disease. I have been in post for two and a half years and our collaborative efforts have already made a huge difference. What is clear is that early diagnosis is key to a […]
Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease which affects one in 1000 adults causing permanent enlargement of the airways which leads to an excessive build up of mucus. Patients cough to expel the mucus. ‘Coughs associated with this condition are usually worse in the morning as people clear their chest,’ explains Dr Richard Russell, honorary medical […]
We all feel breathless sometimes but we also know when our breathlessness is not normal. It may be the first sign that something more serious is going on. Untreated lung disease can cause serious problems and some of those are irreversible if not treated early. When it comes to chronic lung disease, some people may […]
Every five minutes in the UK, one person dies from lung disease, a statistic that underlines the massive impact of conditions such as COPD, chronic asthma and lung cancer. Yet, despite the fact that lung disease is one of the three big killers in the UK, alongside cancer and cardiovascular disease, it comes a very […]
As part of our regular series on the risks of getting common chronic diseases, we look at COPD. COPD, which affects around 1.4 million people in England, is an umbrella term which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which are chronic inflammatory conditions of the lungs. It is a life threatening lung disease that interferes with normal breathing […]