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Amy Winehouse and early stage emphysema diagnosis
News this week that UK singing sensation Amy Winehouse has the early stages of emphysema, although deeply disturbing, should remind us all of the terrible consequences of this lung disease.
Contrary to how it may sometimes appear, drug addiction and an unhealthy lifestyle are not actually occupational illnesses for glamorous pop and rock stars. Ms Winehouse undoubtedly has her own serious and in no way trivial issues, but - unlike many who develop the disease as a result of their environmental factors in their workplaces - it can be said that her emphysema is self-inflicted.
Across the world, miners, roadworkers and those who come into contact with herbicides such as Paraquat have suffered this debilitating and progressive lung condition through no fault of their own, often while working for very low wages.
Emphysema acts on the sufferer by damaging the capacity of alveoli in the lungs to distribute oxygen into the body's bloodstream, meaning those with the condition struggle to get enough oxygen, frequently leaving them listless and breathless.
It is a cruel scenario, as the body effectively chokes on the very stuff that is meant to give it life.
If any benefit can be taken from news of a high-profile sufferer of the condition, it has to be the value of early diagnosis.
The fact that Winehouse has reportedly stopped smoking and is due to play at both Glastonbury and a concert to mark the ninetieth birthday of Nelson Mandela should highlight the fact that, with early diagnosis, it is still possible for the emphysema sufferer to enjoy a relatively high quality of life.
Long-term, it is difficult to predict whether Winehouse will be able to maintain a meaningful singing career, with British Lung Foundation chairman Dr Keith Prowse commenting, "The big difference for singers is that they require more breath and so those with emphysema can't hold the phrases and notes that their colleagues can."
"They also have difficulty with volume and sometimes have trouble with high notes because they have to take in more breath."
But with her due to sing at such showpiece events, alongside such music business luminaries as Keith Richards, Beyonce Knowles and Chris Martin, it may also inspire those with the illness to reconsider what is possible.
Hopefully, it might also engender greater public awareness of emphysema's symptoms and prompt more people with early stage symptoms to seek advice than would have done so otherwise.
