COPD Support Ireland to bring roadshow to Newbridge on November 18

Latest figures show that between 2020 and 2022, there were 1,014 hospital admissions of people from Kildare due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD1.

In fact, 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 diagnosis2. 

Against this backdrop, and marking World COPD Day on Wednesday November 20, COPD Support Ireland, is embarking on a nationwide COPD & Me Roadshow to spread the word about COPD.

The roadshow will visit the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge on Monday November 18, between 2 and 5pm.

Paddy Flavin (age 74), from Newbridge, was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, in 2022. He recalls: “I remember in late August 2020 I began to feel unwell. I thought I was coming down with the ‘flu. I self-medicated with hot Lemsips by day and a stiff Hot Toddy going to bed, but things didn’t improve. My GP sent me to have a COVID swab which came back negative, however, the symptoms seemed akin to having long-COVID.

“I persuaded my GP to refer me to a long-COVID clinic in the Beacon Clinic in Sandyford, Dublin, where, in November 2021, I was diagnosed with long-COVID. In tests that were carried out subsequently in early 2022, I was diagnosed with COPD and sleep apnoea.

“I was referred to HSE Pulmonary Care in Naas and, subsequently, to Newbridge Medical Centre, to undergo an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation course. At this juncture, I was having great difficulty in doing simple jobs, like sweeping the floor or making the bed. On starting the course, I immediately found that the exercises were helping my breathing. However, when I asked the physiotherapist what follow-up there was locally, he said, ‘nothing in Newbridge’.

“This soon changed with the setting up of a COPD support group in July 2023. I am now very actively involved in our small group which meets in Newbridge Resource Centre every Tuesday afternoon for one hour, from 12.45pm to 1.45pm.

“I find the gentle nature of the exercise given to us by our instructor to be invaluable, as it has restored my life to some sort of normality. Indeed, it has been commented on, that I am now seen out in town on a daily basis, walking to and from the shops. My daily walk now consists of between 10,000 and 16,000 steps daily! And, it’s all thanks to COPD Support Ireland.”

Free Testing

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 brimful 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

Living their Best Lives

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.”

Oblivious to Presence of COPD 

Joan Johnston, General Manager, COPD Support Ireland, is urging 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.