Lung age information day ‘a great success’

20 November 2009

An information event held in Norwich this week saw 250 people receiving a lung age test and around 500 information leaflets on COPD handed out to the passing public.

The ‘How old are your lungs?’ event was held at The Forum, Norwich, between 9am and 5pm on November 18 as part of World COPD Day. The event took place to raise awareness of COPD, which is largely an unrecognised condition.

Members of the public were also invited to take a lung age test from a specialist COPD nurse, which involved blowing hard into a handheld device which measures the force of air which can be blown from the lungs. The results of these tests were then used to estimate the age of each participant’s lungs.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for a number of conditions which affect the airways, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis and is a progressive, irreversible lung condition. It is commonly caused by smoking. People with COPD often suffer with a persistent cough, re-occurring chest infections and breathlessness.

The event attracted hundreds of people who were able to ask for information and advice about COPD from the NHS Norfolk Stop Smoking Service and the respiratory nurses carrying out the tests. Of the 250 people took part in the lung age tests, 13 were identified as having an abnormal lung age. These people were then offered spirometry testing and 7 people were referred to their GP or practice nurse for further testing.

Lindi Staunton, a respiratory nurse for Norfolk Community Health and Care, said: “The event was a big success as it not only meant we were able to achieve our goal of raising the awareness of COPD, but we were also able to identify some individuals who may have COPD and not known it.

“People don’t always recognise symptoms such as a persistent cough as a sign of COPD, so they don’t seek help from their doctor. It is also important that people realise the effect that smoking has as a cause of COPD and that stopping smoking can significantly reduce their risk of developing COPD.”

It is estimated that COPD could affect around 20,000 people in Norfolk, however only 12,000 people are registered as diagnosed with COPD in the county. This suggests that there is much undiagnosed COPD in Norfolk.