Free COPD Screening and Information Tuesday
Last updated: 11/13/2009
Cabell Huntington Hospital's Respiratory Care Department is sponsoring a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Awareness Day on Tuesday, November 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the hospital's ground floor in Private Dining Room # 1. The free event includes COPD screenings and information about medications and treatment. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, and one-quarter to one-half of people with the disease don't know they have it.
"A lot of people who have COPD aren't aware of their problems until they actually have a screening for it," said Jim Perrine, manager of Cabell Huntington Hospital's Respiratory Care Department. "Many people just attribute their breathing trouble to getting older. In many cases, that is not the case and they instead have this disease that has been caused by smoking or air pollution."
COPD can be diagnosed with spirometry, a quick, painless, lung function test that is almost as simple as blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. This screening will be available at Cabell Huntington Hospital's COPD Awareness Day. If you are a current or ex-smoker, are over age 40, and you have symptoms like a chronic cough, breathlessness and bringing up phlegm, or you have been diagnosed with COPD and would like information regarding the disease, let respiratory specialists at Cabell Huntington Hospital provide guidance and information on the following aspects of your illness:
- Medication Education
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Relaxation/Breathing Technique
- Nutritional Advice
- Home Care Questions
- Spirometry Screening/COPD Screenings
- Self Management Strategies
For more information, please call 304-526-2106.