People in a former mining town near Newcastle upon Tyne living in the ‘colds capital of Britain’ could be at risk of chronic lung disease, says the British Lung Foundation.
The Sun newspaper revealed today that more people in Boldon buy remedies for sniffles than anywhere else as sales figures from supermarket chain Asda showed nearly 10,000 packets of tablets or bottles of medicine were sold there in the first three months of this year.
“Research by the British Lung Foundation shows that some areas of the North East are more at risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease than the rest of the UK,” says BLF Chairman Dr Keith Prowse.
“Persistent coughs, colds and chest infections can be a sign of lung disease. People in ex mining areas and smokers in particular are at risk.If people are worried, they should ask their GP for a lung test to check for underlying respiratory problems that might need different treatment.”
To view the British Lung Foundation's Invisible Lives report please click here
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