Lung disease blights nearly 7,000 Shropshire smokers
Almost 7,000 people living in Shropshire have a chronic smoking-related lung disease, it was revealed today.
The figures show that there are 153 deaths each year in the county caused by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), an umbrella term for serious and progressive lung diseases.
It led to more than 13,242 hospital admissions in the West Midlands in 2013 to 2014, according to Public Health England.
The latest GP figures revealed that the number of people diagnosed with COPD in Shropshire reached 6,681 in 2014 to 2015.
People with COPD have difficulties breathing, primarily 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.
Alongside the impact on quality of life, 460 deaths in Shropshire between 2012 and 2014 were put down to COPD.
About 86 per cent of national COPD deaths are caused by smoking.
Dr Kevin Lewis, director of Shropshire Council's ip&e's Help2Change, said: "COPD may not be well known but it can be a serious and severely debilitating disease, dramatically affecting people's lives and leading to years of suffering.
"The single best thing a smoker can do to reduce their chances of developing this devastating disease is to stop smoking."
Smokers can often dismiss the early signs of COPD as a 'smoker's cough', but if they continue smoking and the condition worsens, it can greatly impact on their quality of life. Large numbers of people with COPD are unable to participate in everyday activities such as climbing stairs.
Visit https://quitnow.smokefree.nhs.uk or call Help2Change on 0345 678 9025 for support to quit smoking.
