rapid Test Can Detect Insidious disease: COPD Testing available in Sörmland
Sörmland’s health centers are offering a swift and easy lung function test November 17-21 to help identify residents with undiagnosed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Approximately half a million people in Sweden are estimated to have COPD,yet only half have received a diagnosis.
COPD, frequently enough caused by smoking, can develop slowly with subtle symptoms like persistent cough, phlegm production, and shortness of breath.Many individuals attribute these symptoms to smoking itself, delaying crucial diagnosis.
“You can gradually become accustomed to a decline in lung function, and not realize it’s COPD,” explains Georgios Stratelis, district physician at Vårdcentralen Ekensberg and chairman of Sörmland’s program council for lung and allergy diseases. “Early detection is vital, as COPD cannot be cured, but its progression can be managed with medication and lifestyle changes, most importantly, quitting smoking.”
The testing utilizes a ”mini spirometer” providing results in just five minutes. The test is available to individuals over 40 who have a history of smoking at least one pack of cigarettes per day for ten years, or half a pack per day for twenty years, and who have not previously been diagnosed with COPD. Those with concerning results will be scheduled for further evaluation at their health center.
