You shrug off that morning throat-clearing session as a “smoker’s cough”, vowing to go easy on the tobacco next time you’re out with your mates.
But you may be ignoring that persistent hacking at your peril.
The fact is there is no such thing as a smoker’s cough and what you dismiss as a by-product of a big night out could be the first warning sign of one of the UK’s biggest killers.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects the lives of as many as 3.7 million people in the UK and kills around 30,000 a year – that’s more than those that die from breast, bowel or prostate cancer.
Typically, the disease affects people over 35 who are, or have been, heavy smokers. But it can afflict social smokers or even those exposed to passive smoking.
It also affects those who work with certain chemicals or coal dust, while recent research suggests certain genes may be to blame.
So what is COPD? It is, in fact, an umbrella term for a number of conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It leads to damaged airways, which make it harder for air to get in and out of the lungs.
The early signs can be a so-called “productive” cough, with phlegm. But this can later develop into more persistent coughing, as well as wheezing, breathlessness and chest infections.
The severity of symptoms can vary from coughs and breathlessness during the winter months or after a cold, to experiencing shortness of breath every day.
Dr Nicholas Hopkinson, COPD specialist at the Royal Brompton Hospital, explains: “The lungs become damaged and inflamed, which causes a steady decline. The problem is that most people don’t realise they have the disease until they’ve been admitted to hospital, by which time they’ve probably had around 20 years of lung damage.
“People often put their breathlessness and chest infections down to age so don’t bother seeing their GP but, in fact, there’s nothing normal about being out of breath.”
To mark World COPD Day (November 16) health professionals are now calling on people with some of the more common symptoms to ask their GPs for a simple health test that could help save their lives.
A spirometry check assesses how well your lungs work: by blowing into a machine called a spirometer the volume of air you breathe out is measured, establishing whether your airways are obstructed – a key symptom of COPD.
The test can tell how severe the disease is and how it might develop, allowing you vital time to address the problem and make changes to the way you live.
The British Lung Foundation website www.lunguk.org even has a quick online questionnaire that can help you decide whether you need to see a doctor – asking, for instance, ‘When do you feel breathless?’ and ‘Do you often get winter bronchitis?’
According to the charity: “Early diagnosis is key as it allows patients to take steps to slow down the progression of the disease, and live healthy lives for longer. However, not enough patients are diagnosed early enough.
“There are an estimated 3.7 million people in the UK with COPD, yet only 900,000 people diagnosed with the disease. This leaves approximately 2.8 million people that are unaware they have the disease which, if left untreated, could severely restrict their lives and eventually kill them.”
But is there anything you can do to stave off COPD – or help stop it in its tracks if you already have it?
The first thing is, of course, to stop smoking. Although this won't reverse any damage to the airways which might have occurred, it can prevent the disease from getting worse, if caught early on.
After that, it is important to stay active and fit even if you have been diagnosed, as well as maintain a healthy body weight and eat a balanced diet.
As the British Lung Foundation says: “People with COPD may reduce their activities to avoid becoming breathless. But by reducing activity levels you become less fit and therefore get breathless even sooner when you try to do any activity.”
For chronic sufferers, there are inhalers that can help with breathlessness as well as antibiotics, oxygen therapy or steroids, prescribed by a doctor. And having a flu vaccine every year can also help, because flu can exacerbate COPD symptoms.
Many hospitals offer pulmonary rehabilitation courses, including gentle exercise and advice, for those whose quality of life is affected.
But the key thing to remember is that there are treatments for COPD – and the earlier you get help the better.
For more information call the British Lung Foundation Helpline on 08458 50 50 20 or see the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease website at www.goldcopd.org.
