As part of Lung Health Awareness Month Rachael Morgan and Deanne Anderson from Yoorana Gunya were down outside News on Rankin on Wednesday screening for lung diseases.
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Mrs Morgan and Mrs Anderson were screening for this disease through the use of Spirometry tests.
This test measures the the speed of a person’s breathing and the amount of airflow going in and out of the lungs.
COPD is a long term disease which can cause shortness of breath and a repetitive cough with mucus.
In the western world, cigarette smoking is the single largest cause of the disease, with other causes including exposure to environmental agents such as air pollutants and chemicals.
Currently there is no cure for COPD, yet it can be treated through various steps which aim to reduce symptoms, improve quality of life and increase the capacity for exercise.
According to Lung Foundation Australia over 1.45 million Australians have some form of COPD which is approximately one in seven Australians over 40.
COPD is a preventable disease and is the second leading cause of avoidable hospital admissions with diabetes complications being the leading cause.
Mrs Morgan said this is the first year that Yoorana Gunya have offered the COPD screening to the general public and they hope to make it an annual event.
