World COPD Day 2017
World COPD Day highlights the fact that millions of people have COPD but aren’t, as yet, diagnosed.
This awareness day, organised by the British Lung Foundation (BLF), encourages everyone to get involved but pledging a donation, sharing their own experiences, tweeting support using the hashtag #WorldCOPDDay and sharing the online shortness of breath test which tells you (within 5 minutes) if you should seek medical advice.
The BLF’s top tips for managing your COPD:
- Be active – exercise can help you manage your breathlessness
- Talk to others – COPD can have long term effects such as tiredness and depression so talk to those around you
- Have your flu vaccine – contracting the flu can trigger a serious COPD flare-up
- Take things slowly and plan ahead – pace yourself and your energy output
- Regular reviews – COPD is a long-term condition which will be more manageable with regular advice from a healthcare professional
- Keep warm – cold weather can trigger COPD symptoms
To find out more about COPD, and why it is the third leading cause of death in the word (accounting for the sixth highest burden of disease globally, overtaiking HIV/AIDS and birth asphyxia/trauma), visit the COPD Knowledge Centre.
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Learning Zones
The Learning Zones are an educational resource for healthcare professionals that provide medical information on the epidemiology, pathophysiology and burden of disease, as well as diagnostic techniques and treatment regimens.
4 mins