Breathe easy – how to cope with lung disease

Lung diseases affect around 8 million people in the UK.

One in seven people in the UK are affected by lung disease. We look at the challenges they face, and how to cope if you're affected.

Respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, mesothelioma and emphysema are just some of the 43 different lung diseases that affect around 8 million people of varied ages, backgrounds and lifestyles in the UK.

Aside from the impact of the diagnosis, the challenges of living with lung disease are immense.

Mark Pilling, helpline manager at the British Lung Foundation, says: 'People find it isolating because many people can't do as much as they were able to in the past.

'This alongside coping with the lack of understanding that others have about being breathless can be very hard.'

Problems and solutions

The good news is, there's a lot you can do to help improve your life if you're diagnosed with lung disease.

Dr Keith Prowsem, chairman of the British Lung Foundation, suggests the following practical advice.

Problem: being active

The more regular activity you can do, the better you'll feel.

Staying active is important because the more regular activity you can do, the better you'll feel.

The key is to do what you can – whether that's a walk to your back door and back twice a day, or a walk in the park.

Don't let the fear of getting breathless stop you – because it won't harm you if you do so within reason.

Problem: getting out and about

Use whatever aids you can to help you get out and about – whether it's your inhaler, relying on friends and family or simply putting a wheelchair in the car.

The latter in particular can help you stay out for longer and give you more choice as to where you're able to go.

Problem: sleeping

Try using an extra pillow to raise your head.

Many people wake up with wheezy lungs and find it's harder to breathe between 3 and 4am, which is when lung function is at its normal lowest point.

The solution to this is to use an extra pillow to raise your head, take your inhaler before bed and use the sleeping position that most helps you sleep, ie on your side or back.

Problem: depression and emotional problems

Being limited as to where you're able to go naturally leads to frustration and can get progressively worse as time goes on – which can then result in depression.

The solution is to ask friends, family and neighbours to visit you.

Just seeing someone every day for just half an hour can make a huge difference to how you feel emotionally.

Problem: eating

Eat slowly, and opt to eat small meals frequently.

Many people with lung disease find they get breathless when they eat – and so find eating difficult.

This is because you can't chew, swallow and breathe at the same time – so eating inevitably causes breathlessness.

The answer is to eat slowly, and eat smaller meals more frequently over larger meals because these are easier to eat.

Problem: smoky environments

Aside from leaving this kind of environment as soon as possible, if you find yourself stuck – use your inhaler, and put a handkerchief over your mouth and breathe through that.

Problem: perfume, cleaning products and air fresheners

Ask friends not to wear perfume when they're with you.

Cleaning and perfume products upset a lot of people with chest disease and can cause much distress.

To combat it:

• go into another room if someone is using cleaning products
• ask friends not to wear perfume
• keep areas that have been cleaned ventilated, so you are able to breathe more easily.

Case studies

Sue Matthews, 55, from Dagenham London was diagnosed in 1998 with COPD.

Due to the severity of her condition she now has to take liquid oxygen 24/7.

'Living with COPD is very frustrating,' says Sue Matthews.

'I look out the window and see people walking up the road because I'd love to just get up and do that – but I can't.

'What's helped me cope is to stay active. I go to pulmonary rehabilitation classes (individually tailored classes to help increase lung fitness for people with COPD). It's helped me feel less isolated and better all round,' she says.

Janet Egerton, 49, from County Durham was diagnosed with the asbestos-related mesothelioma in 2004.

As a result, Janet is unable to plan anything because she never knows whether she'll be well enough.

'Having mesothelioma does get me down because living with this disease means it takes time for me to get anywhere. I've had to learn to rely on others for help for even simple things like cleaning the house.

It's hard, but what keeps me going is not giving up. I've managed to keep my job, and I've learnt to be a real fighter with regards to my care. It's kept me going for six years longer than the doctor's predicted,' she says.

The Breathe Easy support group

The Breathe Easy support group network provides support for people with lung problems and for those who look after them.

'It also gives people the chance to be social with others who understand what living with a lung condition is like and this is important when you're living with an isolating illness,' says Dr Keith Prowse from the British Lung Foundation.

Groups meet all over the UK