Today is World COPD Day and the British Lung Foundation is encouraging people to get tested for lung disease as millions of people around the country are thought to be undiagnosed.
COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and kills approximately 30,000 people in the UK every year. There are currently 900,000 people diagnosed with COPD but an estimated 2.8 million people in the UK are suffering from the disease but are undiagnosed. The most common cause of COPD is smoking although other factors include inherited diseases and pollutants such as coal dust. To reduce the risk of developing COPD the main step to be taken is quitting smoking.
Symptoms of COPD include coughing, shortness of breath and phlegm. Whilst symptoms will vary greatly people who suffer from COPD may reduce activity levels due to breathlessness. If you, or someone you know experiences frequent breathlessness or coughing and you would like to know the risk of the symptoms being lung disease you can take the British Lung Foundation Breath Test.