Health care professionals from the University of Nebraska Medical Center will provide free lung disease screenings at Husker Harvest Days, Sept. 11-13 in Grand Island in the Nebraska Farmer’s Hospitality Tent. Lung function tests and free testing for a hereditary cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), called alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, will be available.
Screenings will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, attendees can undergo a special screening for emphysema, which typically costs patients hundreds of dollars. Test results will be shared immediately and attendees will be referred to their physicians for follow-up.
The alpha 1 screening is available for those with a family history of COPD, abnormal pulmonary function tests and/or a prior diagnosis of COPD. The test normally costs about $100. If the deficiency is caught early, patients can take lifesaving medications.
Alpha 1 deficiency is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other symptoms.
This year, Diane Angell, also will be at the booth to talk about alpha 1 deficiency. Angell has the deficiency and is a national advocate for those who have the disease.
Those who stop by the tent also will receive free respirator masks to those who do lung function test (breathing test) that can minimize exposure to potentially hazardous materials. Results will be shared immediately and will be referred to their physicians for follow-up.
Husker Harvest Days, located six miles west of Grand Island on Husker Highway, is considered to be one of the top farm shows in the country.
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