A COMMON lung condition could be the reason you’re waking up at night.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common lung disease that causes restricted airflow and breathing problems.
It’s often described as a ‘silent killer’ because most patients are asymptomatic in the early stages.
The condition affects an estimated 380,000 people in Ireland.
COPD is a group of conditions that cause long-term breathing difficulties.
It includes emphysema, where the air sacs in the lungs are damaged, and chronic bronchitis, which is long-term inflammation of the airways.
The HSE says COPD mainly affects middle-aged or older adults who smoke or used to smoke.
Symptoms can take years to appear, often showing in your late 40s or 50s.
The most common signs of COPD include shortness of breath, which may wake you during the night or appear during exercise.
Another symptom includes a persistent chesty cough with phlegm that doesn’t go away.
Frequent chest infections, especially during the winter, or persistent wheezing, which can make breathing feel more difficult are also common symptoms.
If untreated, these issues often worsen over time, making daily activities harder.
Flare-ups, where symptoms suddenly get worse, are common and can occur multiple times a year.
The condition is often confused with other illnesses like asthma, anaemia, and heart failure.
A breathing test can help diagnose COPD and determine the severity.
The main cause of COPD is smoking, including passive smoking, but it can sometimes occur in people who have never smoked.
While tobacco is the main cause, other risk factors include exposure to second-hand smoke, inhalation of dusts, chemicals and fumes and existing conditions such as chronic asthma.
The damage to the lungs caused by COPD is permanent, and there’s currently no cure.
While COPD is not curable, it is treatable, allowing people to have the best possible quality of life.
And treatments like stopping smoking, using inhalers, and pulmonary rehabilitation can help manage the condition.
The sooner treatment begins, the less chance there is of severe lung damage.
COPD can vary in severity, with some people able to manage it well, while others experience a significant decline in quality of life.
Avoiding smoking is the best way to reduce your risk of developing COPD.
If you have symptoms, particularly if you’re over 35 and smoke or used to smoke, it’s important to seek medical advice early.
COPD & ME: TOP FIVE TIPS
- Try to undertake regular physical activity and join an exercise class provided by your local COPD Support Ireland group.
- Know what is usual for you and monitor your symptoms for early warning signs of a flare-up. Be familiar with your COPD self-management plan which will let you know what to do when you are feeling unwell.
- The main cause of COPD is tobacco smoking. If you smoke, there are supports that can help you to stop — check out quit.ie, freephone 1800 201 203, or text QUIT to 50100.
- Keep up-to-date with your flu, pneumococcal and Covid-19 vaccines.
- Look after your mental health. Be aware of unhelpful thinking and focus on things that you can control. Ask your GP about counselling and a potential referral to counselling in primary care in one of 240 centres across Ireland.
