AN awareness campaign to highlight a disease that kills more people in the UK than colon cancer has been welcomed by the Island's Health Minister.
Noble's Hospital and Ramsey Group Practice have been raising awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
The campaign was part of the British Lung Foundation's national COPD awareness day which took place on Wednesday.
COPD is a progressive and irreversible lung disease often caused by smoking or industrial pollution such as asbestos and rare auto-immune lung disorders. However if it diagnosed early it is treatable and manageable.
The disease currently kills more people in the UK every year than colon cancer, more men than prostate cancer, and more women than breast cancer.
Minister for Health David Anderson MHK said: "I welcome this initiative between Noble's Hospital, Ramsey Group Practice, and Public Health and would ask anyone who is concerned or displaying respiratory problems to contact their GP immediately.
"COPD is often associated with smoking. The health benefits of stopping smoking have been clear for some time but never more so than when you take account of the debilitating effects of respiratory disease."
Ramsey Group Practice carried out screening at the Ramsey branch of Shoprite and a Quit4You advisor was on hand to discuss support available for smokers to help them quit.
Dr Alex Allinson, a GP at Ramsey Group Practice said: "We want to encourage anyone who is concerned or thinks they may have symptoms of COPD, which is primarily an inability to breathe in and out properly, to visit their GP and ask for information.
"Many people dismiss what is termed as 'smokers cough' but, if persistent, this can often be a sign that something may be wrong with the respiratory system.
"The test itself is quite simple and harmless - it involves blowing into a mouth piece after a deep breath with the lung volume and the amount breathed out over the first second measured. This data can then be compared with a predicted value calculated according to age, sex, and height.
"The key message is simple - if in doubt get it checked out."
For more information on the disease visit www.lunguk.org.
