Last updated at 12:19, Thursday, 15 November 2012

TODAY is World COPD Day and to mark the occasion people with breathing problems are being urged to visit their doctor.

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Some people think that symptoms of COPD, which stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, are just signs of aging, such as a smoker’s cough, breathlessness when going up stairs, everyday things like shopping becoming more difficult, and so on.

COPD is a very common lung disease that blocks the airways, making breathing difficult.

One of the ways that people with COPD can be helped is through pulmonary rehabilitation classes run by the Furness pulmonary rehabilitation team.

If you feel you would benefit from the pulmonary rehab classes contact your GP or local respiratory service.

From this week people with COPD will be sent letters to help them stay healthy this winter.

Today’s COPD awareness day traditionally coincides with the start of winter, which can cause an increase in illness and symptoms for people with respiratory problems.

The letter and leaflet aim to give people with COPD tips on how to manage their condition over winter to help avoid them getting ill and possibly ending up seriously ill and in hospital as a result.

In winter the cold air may cause a person’s airways to become narrower. This can make breathing even more difficult than normal for someone with COPD alongside the risk of catching infections and viruses such as flu which circulate at this time of year.

First published at 12:17, Thursday, 15 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk