Lung disease killing 800 a year

Chest illnesses most common cause of GP visits

Eight hundred people a year are dying in Northern Ireland due to chronic lung disease.

Medical treatment of the disease costs £25m per year in the province and also results in 700,000 lost working days.

The figures were released on Wednesday by the Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association.

The charity launched a campaign to increase public awareness of a group of respiratory illnesses known collectively as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

It also includes bronchitis and emphysema.

Death rate

Northern Ireland has a death rate from the diseases similar to Uzbekistan, the charity said.

In Europe, deaths from COPD in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are topped only by the former Soviet republics of Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Chest illnesses are the most common reason for Northern Ireland people to visit their doctors, yet the charity said many people were not aware of the best methods of prevention.

The charity's Andrew Dougal said: "Far and away the most important cause of COPD is smoking, although non-smokers develop it too.

"Occupational hazards, such as inhaling chemicals, can also contribute."

Prevention

The charity advised people in the province to adopt a more healthy lifestyle to help combat respiratory illnesses.

It advocated exercising and avoiding tobacco, as well as a healthy diet, including five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

Apples can prove especially beneficial, the charity said.

Recent studies showed that eating the fruit regularly could have a protective effect for the lungs, it said.