'Don't ignore that Smoker's Cough', say the quitters

- 400 deaths in Notts a year due to chronic lung problems

- 25 per cent more likely to suffer in Mansfield

- 1,600 emergency admissions to hospital in 2012/14

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is top of local doctors' lists as one of the most prevalent long term health problems affecting people in the Mansfield and Ashfield. As both are former mining areas, they have a high prevalence of life-long respiratory conditions as well as a high number of smokers, and the disease affects 4,400 patients the Mansfield and Ashfield area alone - a rate of 2.35 out of every hundred people, 25 per cent more than the UK average of 1.87.

Around 16,000 people in Nottinghamshire live with the chronic smoking-related disease, and a further 7,000 are thought to be living with it unknown to their GPs, and therefore untreated.

People with COPD have difficulties breathing, mainly due to the narrowing of their airways and destruction of lung tissue. Typical symptoms include breathlessness when active, a persistent cough and frequent chest infections.

One local sufferer, Peter Burrows, 71, from Mansfield tells of how easy it was to take better care of his lunch health after receiving the proper support.

Peter said: "I was diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in 2010. I decided that I wasn’t going to let COPD rule my life so I wasted no time in joining our local Breathe Easy Group. We meet at the Towers, every second Tuesday of the month.

"Unfortunately there is no cure or magic pill for our condition, exercise is very important, if you’re going to succeed in managing your condition, at first it may seem a little hard but it gets easier with time if you make it part of your daily routine you will achieve a better quality of life.

"And attending a pulmonary rehabilitation course was crucial in educating himself, added Peter.

"There were about 12 of us there on the course. The nurse explained to us that Pulmonary Rehabilitation is about helping you understand and take control of your condition. We were all going to receive some light physical exercises for the first hour that was carefully tailored for each one of us. The second hour would be educational, all about understanding COPD and all aspects of lung health. Having completed the Pulmonary Rehabilitation course I now realise how important the education part is, understanding why we should continue exercising after the course, it can make such a difference to your life."

And as smoking is such an important factor in developing chronic problems, that makes COPD incredibly preventable, say doctors.

Dr Khalid Butt, a GP and clinical adviser to Mansfield's local Clinical Commissioning, said Early identification is critical if people are to get the help they need with every day life.

He added: "Smokers can often dismiss the early signs of COPD as a ‘smoker’s cough’, but if they carry on smoking and the condition worsens, it can really impact on their quality of life. Large numbers of people with COPD are unable climb the stairs without difficulty or do normal tasks such as housework or gardening. The sooner people can get the help they need, the better.”

Lung event to encourage better care

An information event is set to help people in Mansfield who have the respiratory disease.

The event, being hosted by the British Lung Foundation, aims to encourage people in the local population to achieve greater control of their medical conditions so they can live more independently for longer.

The British Lung Foundation’s network of Breathe Easy groups are already benefiting people with COPD across the UK to help them manage their condition through exercise and rehabilitation. The Breath Easy group for Mansfield meets on the second Tuesday of each month at The Towers in Mansfield between 1:30pm and 3:30pm.

You can attend the Lung Information Event tomorrow at The Towers, Mansfield 12:30-4pm (Tuesday March 8)., with speakers including Dr Andrew Molyneux, one of Nottinghamshire’s leading respiratory consultants.

For help and support people can access free, friendly and flexible support to stop smoking in Nottinghamshire by speaking to their GP or local pharmacy. People can also contact Nottinghamshire’s specialist Stop Smoking Services (covering all of Nottinghamshire including Bassetlaw): New Leaf: 0800 389 7712 or text ‘leaf’ free to 80800.

For details of the nearest Breathe Easy support group or for those who are already worried that they may be living with a lung condition call the British Lung Foundation Helpline on 03000 030 555. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and calls are charged at a local rate. Each year thousands of people turn to the BLF Helpline. They have a team of specialist nurses and benefits advisers who are dedicated to answering questions. Alternatively, people can access our website at www.blf.org.uk