Life of Breath Podcast Episode 1
In this podcast Prof Jane Macnaughton discusses why breathlessness is an invisible symptom and why the people who experience it can be invisible in society.
Jane begins by outlining how the lungs work and how their function is compromised in ill health (particularly COPD). She then explains why we fear and stigmatise breathlessness, and how this makes lung disease invisible to politicians, those who fund medical research and even healthcare professionals. She concludes by describing how a better understanding of the thoughts, beliefs and emotions associated with breathlessness can contribute to neuroscience and ultimately, perhaps better treatments.
In her talk Jane references the following;
- Genesis 2.7 in the Bible
- King Lear by William Shakespeare
- Illness: The Cry of the Flesh by Havi Carel
- The Battle for Breath by the British Lung Foundation
- Statistics for lung disease in the UK
Recorded on Saturday 25 February 2017 at Cafe Scientifique Durham City in Empty Shop HQ
Presented and produced by Sarah McLusky.
