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lung health via Shutterstock

'You could have lung disease, but won't notice if your only exercise is shopping'

Most people are unable to spot the warning signs of the disease.

TOMORROW WILL MARK the start of Ireland’s first-ever National Lung Health Awareness Week, and if a survey released to mark it is anything to go by, people are unaware of how to spot warning signs.

The survey revealed that 57% of people did not spontaneously identify a persistent cough as a key symptom of lung disease.

Some were unaware of other symptoms such as coughing up blood (86%), chest tightness or pain (88%), persist phlegm (92%) and shortness of breath or a wheeze (38%).

Just one in five had taken a lung function test such as spirometry, which can diagnose lung disease, in the past five years.

Professor Anthony O’Regan, a consultant respiratory physician, and spokesperson for the Irish Lung Health Alliance, described lung disease as a “major problem in Ireland”, which has the third highest death rate for lung disease in Western Europe.

It’s estimated to kill more people a year than heart disease.

“We need to make much more significant strides in improving lung disease prevention, early diagnosis and improved access to specialist care.

Of course, for the public it’s important to emphasise that, in the majority of cases, lung disease is preventable.

“Unfortunately, there is a poor awareness among people about the importance of having their doctor check for lung disease and, if necessary, organise lung tests.”

The Alliance has called on the Government to develop a National Programme for Healthy Lungs.

Lar Brennan hasn’t let a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) get in the way of his career. He has battled through the condition – and a double lung transplant – to work as a fitness instructor.

He believes that keeping fit and active is key. If we’re not doing that, we might miss the warning signs of poor lung health.

“People are walking around with lung disease without realising it, because they’re not working the body enough,” Lar said.

They’re just not getting the exercise, and you won’t notice when going around doing the shopping.

“It’s also important that parents get their children as active as possible.”

He told TheJournal.ie that before his transplant, he had managed to achieve lung capacity of up to 90%.

However, after an injury, he was unable to exercise as much, and his lung capacity slowly fell back to as low as 10%.

“I was in hospital for two years. It wasn’t easy, having to watch friends pass away around you. Towards the end I probably only had a couple of weeks left to life.”

photo (3) Lar Brennan (right) before and after his transplant. Lar Brennan Lar Brennan

He is now working as fitness instructor following his lung transplant operation, but it took a lot of work to get to the level he’s at now.

“You have to really work on it to get a decent level of fitness,” Lar said, “My lung function is now around 100%, but that won’t happen without hard work.”

“Some people with CF will go out and exercise, get an infection, and get knocked back down again, feeling like all their hard work as gone down the drain.”

It’s important not to compare yourself to other people, just to progress at your own pace, but remember, if you don’t do the work, nobody else is going to do it for you.

He also praised the support his received from friends, family, and all the hospital staff who treated him.

“I’m also extremely grateful for my donor, and the gift of life they gave me.”

As part of Lung Health Awareness Week, free lung tests will provided in Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Portlaoise. Find out more here.

Read: Trinity scientists discover how to attack a bacteria that causes cystic fibrosis infections >

More: Over 90,000 homes may have ‘dangerous levels’ of radon gas… just 8% have been checked >

Column: Why is lung disease so prevalent in Ireland? >

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25 Comments
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    Mute Bryan Mills
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    May 31st 2014, 7:33 AM

    Would a Spar have been more favourable?

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    Mute TifFanny Bush
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    May 31st 2014, 7:45 AM

    Yes it would have ,as they would have kept things hidden ‘under the tree’.

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    Mute Kenneth Finn
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    May 31st 2014, 7:49 AM

    They occupy all the 1st floor in what appears to be excellent accommodation. Does everything always have to be dublin based? A sub office is a reasonable solution imo, but can only be a gradual loss of these good jobs back to dublin over a period.

    For a precedent see brussels/strasbourg for the eu.

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    Mute winding_down
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    May 31st 2014, 10:44 AM

    The Strasbourg “precedent” costs the European taxpayer many millions of euro annually (not to mind the environmental impact of shuttling tons of paper up and down from Brussels one week per month). Everybody (Member States and MEPs alike) want it gone, except the veto-wielding French. Hardly a comparable example!

    Fact is that they’ll fail to recruit the best quality replacement for Billy Hawkes because most prospective candidates won’t countenance moving to Portarlington! Unless of course they’re allowed to be based 5-days per week at the “sub-office” in Dublin…

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    May 31st 2014, 7:23 AM

    Love how it says “beside a Central in Laois” as it that’s automatically a bad thing..

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    Mute Patrick Moran
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    May 31st 2014, 7:28 AM

    You might expect to find a post office, a hairdresser or maybe a solicitor beside a Centra in Laois. But an office tasked with policing the privacy rights of 300+ million people ?? That is just a tad Irish.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    May 31st 2014, 7:29 AM

    An office can be anywhere. This is the 21st century, we have phones, computers a postal system. We’re having a conversation right now and I’m in a house on the ass-end of nowhere – doesn’t affect the quality of the conversation.

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    Mute Niall o' Sullivan
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    May 31st 2014, 7:33 AM

    “An office can be anywhere.” – no it can’t, not a state one.

    Do you make a living from playing Devil’s advocate with yourself?

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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    May 31st 2014, 8:34 AM

    Well it is handy to grab a breakfast roll on way into work and if its you’re turn to get the milk for the staff room.

    53
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    May 31st 2014, 8:36 AM

    What do you imagine goes on in there? People showing up with Lidl bags full of data, asking if the commissioner is in? The Taoiseach dropping in to see how the data is doing and maybe use the photocopier? Or, like most head offices, people sitting at computer screens on the phone?

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    May 31st 2014, 8:46 AM

    It reminds of the mentality that the banks used to have, where you can’t possibly be getting anything done unless your logo is displayed on a palace in College Green.

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    Mute The Truth Hurts
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    May 31st 2014, 9:35 AM

    You still can’t because there’s no staff left… (Ones with a clue that is).

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    Mute Gerry in Laois
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    May 31st 2014, 9:20 AM

    Just for the sake of accuracy, it’s not actually a Centra, it’s a Gala. It changed about a year or so ago.

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    Mute Red4fred
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    May 31st 2014, 9:28 AM

    I’d get on to the DPC about that Gerry

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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    May 31st 2014, 7:44 AM

    Extraordinary that such a powerful & yet utterly useless organisation has an office above a local convenience store. Data protection has become the greatest tool for companies, especially telecoms & utilities to obstruct, twart, infuriate, annoy & ultimately discourage customers from making any contact with their suppliers.

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    Mute Patrick Moran
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    May 31st 2014, 7:25 AM

    If I didn’t know better I might think the govt of the day wanted to bury the DPC away in a back yard shed out of sight and mind. Oh wait ….

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    Mute Truth Patrol
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    May 31st 2014, 10:46 AM

    You’re obviously Dublin based Patrick? Anywhere out of Dublin is out of sight, gas attitude. Sure them culchies don’t know what they’re doing :)

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    May 31st 2014, 12:57 PM

    It’s minutes from the motorway network, and therefore far easier for staff to travel from there to various parts of the country than from some overpriced ivory tower in Kildare street.

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    Mute Niall o' Sullivan
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    May 31st 2014, 7:28 AM

    Good stuff Hugh/Journal.

    I, in my mind, had envisaged the DPC in a central Dublin office block beneath or part of, a state department or embassy building.

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    Mute Pierce2020
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    May 31st 2014, 7:40 AM

    This article should have a product placement warning like Fair City

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    Mute Padraig Maloney
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    May 31st 2014, 9:56 AM

    It’s not Centra any more, current owner gave up franchise

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    Mute Padraig Maloney
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    May 31st 2014, 10:02 AM

    Oh, and it’s up for sale at the moment http://www.jordancs.ie/fullpage.aspx?id=567794

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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    May 31st 2014, 10:27 AM

    Its asking price is €1,000,000. Is must be Dr evil selling it.

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    Mute Catherine Mill
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    May 31st 2014, 9:02 PM

    Well, where ever their office is, its officers do amazing work in getting data from certain state agents who try to use all kinds of tactics to block the truth. Example HSE and Probation services. But Data Commissioner was on the ball and did all the hard work for me.

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    Mute Peter Martin
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    Jun 1st 2014, 1:44 AM

    Same here. GSOC by comparison is a total and abject failure and it is a total fraud.

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    Mute Hank Schrader
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    May 31st 2014, 10:27 AM

    No more breakfast rolls for the lads downstairs.

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    Mute Peter Martin
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    May 31st 2014, 2:25 PM

    They are doing a good job of work no matter where their office is located.

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    May 31st 2014, 11:43 AM

    Decentralisation gone mad.

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    Mute Neil Dinnen
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    May 31st 2014, 10:16 AM

    It’s not a Centra anymore. Now plain old O’Hanlon’s.

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