PEOPLE who face a daily struggle with tasks as simple as putting on a pair of shoes or walking upstairs could find help thanks to a local support group.
Members of Breathe Easy South Cumbria, a support group for people with lung disease, are calling for more members to join them.
The group, which meet every third Wednesday of the month, are hoping through their actions of exercise and mutual support they can improve people's health outcomes, and take a heavy burden off the local NHS.
Harry Brunskill, 70, of Ulverston, the club's secretary, said: "I've COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), that was the rationale to set it up, to support each other in the community. There was a big group in Kendal and it was quite successful, it's all to do with getting people to be more confident about dealing with their lung condition."
The group is not just composed of people suffering with lung conditions, but former health care experts, nurses and physiotherapists.
Dr Andy Luksza, chairman of Breathe Easy and a 65-year-old retired clinician, said groups like Breathe Easy provide a valuable service to patients after they leave hospital care.
He said: "People who've been admitted to hospital with COPD, with chronic respiratory illnesses, are offered courses of pulmonary rehab, but it only lasts six weeks. After that people are left with no support. That's where Breathe Easy can fit in and continue continuity of care."
Dr Luksza said the social aspect of groups such as Breathe Easy could be just as important as continued medical care.
He continued: "It gives the opportunity to socialise. A proportion of people will be single having lost their partner, so it have several uses, that being one of them."
Mr Brunskill stressed the importance of emotional wellbeing when living with a chronic illness, adding: "There is emotional support in the group, these conditions can be very frightening, to not have your next breath. To cope with that is essential."
Part of Breathe Easy is offering solutions in the community which can prevent future trips to hospital.
Activities such as yoga, tai chi and singing have been proven to strengthen people's lungs, something Breathe Easy is encouraging all its members to take part in.
Dr Luksza said: "We've had instruction in yoga and meditation, there has been research to show that can reduce the symptoms of breathlessness, which can be very worrying when it strikes."
The South Lakes has a higher than average number of people living with lung disease.
A long history of heavy industry in the many steel mills, factories and shipyards has left a long lasting and, unfortunately, deadly legacy in our towns.
Veterans of the shipyard in Barrow speak of men throwing asbestos around the yard like snowballs, long before anything was known of how deadly the substance would be.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average number of deaths from asbestos exposure is 4.51 per 100,000 people.
In Barrow that figure is almost triple that, with 11.57 deaths.
With the value of continued aftercare after a person is discharged from hospital, Breathe Easy have access to a range of trained physiotherapists, who can inform and educate people in need of support.
Jo Newsham, respiratory physiotherapist for Furness and Millom, said: "Physio can be used at any stage of a lung condition. We encourage participation in the group to cope."
Rather than being a last resort for people who are suffering from lung conditions, the group is being used as a preventative measure.
Ms Newsham said they had ties with St Mary's Hospice, in Ulverston, working with patients there to promote healthy lifestyles and, in effect, nipping any health risks in the bud before they require secondary care.
She said: "It's not about being a place to die, but a place to live well with a long-term condition. Their group, Living Well, we can refer patients to them."
Statistics from the British Lung Foundation show the value support groups have on the members.
Firstly, improving long-term health outcomes, but secondly, reducing the amount of unscheduled doctor or hospital appointments.
THE BLF found people attending Breathe Easy groups integrated with the NHS have significantly greater levels of wellbeing and are more confident in handling their lung conditions.
There is a 42 per cent reduction in rates of unplanned GP visits and a 57 per cent reduction in emergency hospital admissions among group attendees.
Mary Harrison, head respiratory nurse for Furness, said: "Sometimes people are very isolated, people can look at someone and think they are quite fit, but sometimes they can't get to the door, or become so breathless they can't even finish a meal.
"Pulmonary rehabilitation is a treatment where everything is tailored to a patient's needs. Unfortunately, sometimes by the time some people get a referral, 70 per cent of their lungs have been damaged."
The group meet at the Coach House in Ford Park, Ulverston. However, when taking into account the large number of people living with lung conditions in Barrow, they would be enthusiastic to expand.
Mr Brunskill said: "There is a possibility of getting a premises in Barrow, we're keen to do it. That's where the bulk of people need us."
Dr Luksza said the most important message was if you think you are suffering from a respiratory illness, get help as soon as possible.
The sooner symptoms are caught, the sooner effective treatment can be administered.
He said: "We want to see people as soon as they think they have an underlying lung condition. COPD is a general term, if they have any related symptoms, we would like to see them."
The next meeting of Breathe Easy will take place on Wednesday, September 20, in the Coach House in Ford Park, Ulverston.
It will run between 2pm and 4pm, and is free to attend. However, donations are welcome to help with the upkeep of the group.
Just what is COPD?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, describes a group of lung conditions that make it difficult to empty air out of the lungs because your airways have been narrowed.
C
hronic means it is a long term condition, and will not go away;
O
bstructive means airways get narrower, making breathing difficult;
P
ulmonary refers to the lungs; and
D
isease marks it as a medical condition.
Two of these lung conditions are persistent bronchitis and emphysema, which can also occur together.
Bronchitis means the airways are inflamed and narrowed. People with bronchitis often produce sputum, or phlegm.
Emphysema affects the air sacs at the end of the airways in your lungs. They break down and the lungs become baggy and full of holes which trap air.
These processes narrow the airways. This makes it harder to move air in and out as you breathe, and your lungs are less able to take in oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide.
With COPD, the airways are narrowed because the lung tissue is damaged so there is less pull on the airways; the elastic lining of the airways flops; and the airway lining is inflamed.
Read more:
Men who worked in the shipyards tell of their exposure to deadly asbestos
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