Breathlessness isn’t just getting older. It could be COPD.
Quit Right Tower Hamlets is the specialist tobacco cessation service for the borough - and one of the best places to catch COPD early. If you smoke, used to smoke, or breathe faster than you used to, this page is for you.
What does COPD actually mean?
COPD is an umbrella term for long-term lung conditions - mainly chronic bronchitis and emphysema - that make it harder to push air out of the lungs. Most people have a mixture of both.
Chronic
A long-term condition. It doesn’t go away, and right now there’s no cure.
Obstructive
The airways narrow, so air gets trapped in the chest and breathing out becomes harder.
Pulmonary
It affects the lungs - the damage and inflammation sit in the airways and air sacs.
Disease
A recognised medical condition, diagnosed with a simple breathing test called spirometry.
COPD develops slowly, usually showing up from your forties or fifties onwards. It’s progressive - it tends to get worse over time - but it’s also treatable. Stopping smoking is the single most effective thing anyone with COPD can do to slow it down, and starting treatment earlier gives you a much better chance of staying well.
COPD, from the World Health Organization to Stepney Green.
COPD is one of the world’s leading causes of death and poor health - and it lands hardest in exactly the kind of community we serve.
Tower Hamlets has a COPD rate around two-thirds higher than you’d expect for a borough with our age profile - one of the largest gaps of any part of London. That gap is exactly why Quit Right Tower Hamlets exists as more than a stop smoking service: our advisors are trained to spot the early signs of COPD in the people we already see every week, and help get them checked out and looked after - not just smoke-free.
Am I at risk?
Never ignore breathing symptoms, especially if you’re over 35, smoke or used to smoke, had chest problems as a child, or have worked around dust, fumes or chemicals.
- Getting breathless doing things that used to be easy - walking quickly, stairs, hills
- A cough that’s lasted weeks, or keeps coming back
- Coughing up phlegm most days
- Chest infections that keep coming back
- A wheeze or whistling sound when you breathe
If any of this sounds like you, speak to your GP or come and talk to a Quit Right advisor - we can help you get a spirometry test arranged and start you on the right support straight away.
What raises your risk.
Smoking - 9 in 10 cases
Cigarettes, pipes, cigars and shisha all count - and second-hand smoke raises risk too.
Dust, fumes & chemicals
Silica dust, welding fumes and some cleaning products can damage lungs over years.
Air pollution
Both traffic pollution and indoor pollution from solid fuel cooking can trigger flare-ups.
Family history
COPD can run in families, including a rarer inherited condition affecting lung sensitivity.
What Quit Right Tower Hamlets does about COPD.
We’re not just here after a diagnosis. Our stop smoking advisors are trained to spot COPD early, in the ordinary course of supporting people to quit.
Cross-trained advisors
Every advisor recognises COPD warning signs during a routine quit conversation.
Quit support built for COPD
We combine behavioural support with the right medication for your history.
CO verification
A quick, painless breath test that tracks progress and flags lung health concerns early.
Fast-track to your GP
We help you get a spirometry test and diagnosis arranged - not just a leaflet.
Signposting to rehab
Already diagnosed? We point you towards pulmonary rehab and local support groups.
Culturally grounded support
Female advisors, community languages, and specialist support for paan, zarda and other smokeless tobacco.
“The most effective and cost-effective treatment for COPD in people who still smoke is stopping smoking.”
- Paraphrased from WHO guidance on COPD management
Get support.
You don’t need a diagnosis to come and talk to us - breathlessness, a nagging cough, or just wanting to quit smoking is reason enough.
Refer a patient
Refer directly through EMIS local services (search “QuitRight Smoking Cessation”), or flag suspected COPD in the referral notes and we’ll prioritise a fast-track conversation.
One free, confidential conversation about your breathing.
Book a free consultation with a Quit Right advisor - self-refer directly, no GP appointment needed. Free, confidential, and open to anyone who lives, works or studies in Tower Hamlets.