Breathlessness Perceptions Within Respiratory Diseases

To take part in this study, you need to be at least 18 years old and no older than 100. You must either have a diagnosed lung condition, such as COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis, or interstitial lung disease, and experience ongoing breathlessness. This breathlessness should be noticeable enough to score at least a 2 on a specific breathlessness scale.

Alternatively, you can join the study as a healthy volunteer if you do not have a long-term medical condition that limits your daily activities, such as problems with your lungs, heart, or bones. All participants must be able to understand and speak English, be able to attend two appointments, and be able to give your informed consent in writing.

You would not be able to join if you have a medical condition that is not stable or if you are currently having tests for symptoms that doctors can't explain. Also, if you've had surgery in the last six weeks, have certain heart conditions or high blood pressure that make exercise unsafe, or if your BMI (Body Mass Index) is 35 or higher, you wouldn't be able to participate. You will also need to avoid smoking for 8 hours before a test.

If you decide to take part, you will have two visits to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. On these visits, we will conduct a few tests. First, we'll do a breathing test called spirometry to check your lung function. You'll also fill out some questionnaires about how you feel. We'll then ask you to do a simple exercise test. During this exercise, small markers will be placed on your chest so we can use a special camera to see how you breathe. We will aim to recruit 50 participants with a lung disease and 25 healthy volunteers. These visits will be spread out, and the whole study involves only these two appointments. You won't be given any new medications as part of this study.