You cough? Do you experience shortness of breath even with the simplest exertion? Be sure to check your lung capacity. Free spirometry tests can be performed from 25 to 30 September in selected facilities throughout the country.
Free spirometry tests are carried out as part of Spirometry Days in over 270 centers across the country. The action takes place for the seventh time. During that time, over 40 people were examined, and in over 9 people obstructed, i.e. limited airflow through the respiratory tract.
Spirometry is a test that allows you to assess the volume and capacity of the lungs, and the correct flow of air through the respiratory tract. It allows for the early detection of a respiratory disease. During Spirometry Days, the organizers want to find people who have cough and shortness of breath caused, for example, by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchial asthma, but are not diagnosed. In Poland, 4 million people suffer from asthma, and 2 million from COPD. – Half of asthmatics and as much as 80 percent patients with COPD do not know that they are sick – emphasizes Piotr Dąbrowiecki.
– They feel short of breath, their chest feels tight, accompanied by wheezing and prolonged coughing. The sooner these diseases are diagnosed, the better the treatment results. Thanks to the therapy, the patient has fewer exacerbations of the disease and can go to school, study and work, because coughing and fatigue do not limit their activity.
Asthma is caused by inflammation of the bronchi following contact with allergenic allergens or as a result of chronic bacterial or viral infections. An asthmatic may start coughing when exposed to cold air, tobacco smoke, and intense odors. Coughing can also trigger strong emotions and exercise.
COPD – it’s not just smokers who get sick
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ranks third as the cause of human mortality worldwide. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), around 210 million people suffer from COPD, and 3 million die every year from this disease. COPD shortens life by 10 or 15 years if the disease is diagnosed late.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is most often diagnosed in the group of people over 40 who used to smoke tobacco for many years. COPD patients cough and expose thick sputum periodically. Unfortunately, smokers do not care about chronic cough, considering it a symptom of “cleansing” of the lungs. A non-smoker, coughing for several days, searches for an answer to why this is happening. A smoker who coughs for many years finds an excuse for his symptoms, which means that only after performing a spirometric test can he diagnose the disease – unfortunately sometimes in a severe form.
You can find a full list of test facilities here.