CAT Public Website

Ultimately, the CAT aims to help people with COPD live full and active lives.

Unfortunately, the number of people who are unwell with COPD is increasing. This is despite the introduction of programmes to help people stop smoking, which is the most common cause of this illness.

If you have COPD, or know someone that does, you may be aware of the devastating effect that extreme breathlessness can have on a person’s life. Currently, there is no cure for COPD. However, the symptoms of COPD can be treated, to reduce their impact on a person’s life.

For some people with COPD, the condition is not managed quite as it should be. This means they may be suffering more than necessary.

There are a number of reasons why this might be, including:

1. People with COPD can’t always tell their doctor and nurse the full story.

For example, they might consider themselves “as well as can be expected” and don’t like to trouble those responsible for their treatment. Sometimes, people with COPD feel guilty, thinking they’ve “bought it on themselves” by smoking. Again, this means they don’t always reveal quite how unwell they’re feeling.

It’s really important that people with COPD tell their doctor or nurse exactly how they’re feeling, both physically and emotionally, because there may be things that can be done to help them feel better.

2. A lot of the tests available for people with COPD don’t reveal the complete picture of how the illness affects a person’s everyday life.

For example, if you have COPD, you will have taken a ‘blowing test’ – this helps your doctor to diagnose COPD, but doesn’t tell them how much of an impact the disease is having on your life

The CAT has been developed to complement 'blowing tests', and to help people with COPD lead as full and active life as possible.

 
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