Hundreds of thousands of Australians have a chronic lung disease without knowing it. One in seven Australians over 40 have COPD, with half of these people having progressed to a stage where they are experiencing symptoms, but not even knowing that they have it!

COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. COPD is an umbrella term for lung disease that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma. It involves damage to the small airways, making it harder for air to get in and out of the lungs. This airflow limitation is not fully reversible and is usually progressive. The irreversible component of airflow limitation is the end result of inflammation, fibrosis and remodeling of the smaller airways. People who are more breathless than others their age, or who have a cough that won’t go away, should consider having a lung health check.

Wednesday 19 November 2014 is World COPD Day and Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy is helping to raise awareness of the prevalence and impact of COPD.

World COPD Day was set up to raise awareness for COPD and improve care for sufferers all over the planet. This year, the event will take place on Wednesday 19 November around the theme “It’s not too late”. We would like to encourage participation in World COPD Day2014 to raise awareness about the symptoms, prevalence and treatment of COPD.

This year’s theme for World COPD Day is targeted to encourage early detection and treatment of COPD. Get involved by joining the Australian Lung Foundation on the ‘Walk for COPD’ or follow the link for more World COPD events, including FREE lung function screenings http://worldcopdday.lungfoundation.com.au/event-tracker-2/.

Active Rehabilitation will be participating in World COPD Day and invite you to visit our Annerley practice on Wednesday 19 November to learn more about your treatment options and our Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs. Please see our Facebook page for updates on COPD event www.facebook.com/activerehabpage.