A local Assembly Member is encouraging the people of Montgomeryshire to “listen to your lungs” by taking part in the British Lung Foundation’s online ‘breath test’.
Russell George, Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, has recently supported the British Lung Foundation’s lung health awareness campaign at the National Assembly for Wales by taking part in the test and finding out more about lung disease.
The charity was showcasing their Listen to your lungs campaign, aiming to raise awareness that feeling out of breath doing everyday tasks could be a sign of lung disease.
The test allows people to check their health through 10 simple questions, based around the Medical Research Council breathlessness scale. The aim is to reassure people who don't have a problem and guide those with significant breathlessness to make an appointment with their GP.
Mr George said:
"I was pleased to be able to take part in the BLF's online breath test to raise awareness of lung disease and the measures which we can all take to check our lung health.
"I would encourage everyone to try it. It’ll either give you peace of mind or start you on a path to helping you manage your breathlessness.
“Sixty-five per cent of people underestimate the proportion of deaths in the UK caused by lung disease - it kills someone every 5 minutes. If you’re even slightly worried a loved one has been feeling increasingly short of breath, please make sure they take the test by visiting www.blf.org.uk/breathtest.”