News
Galway study highlights health issues for farmers
Farmers have been advised this week not to neglect key health issues after a major study revealed a high level of lung and respiratory problems in the agricultural sector.
The study also indicated that the chest problems suffered by so many farmers were not related to smoking or to the condition of ‘Farmer’s Lung’, often associated with handling mouldy or dusty hay.
Carried out by the Galway University Hospital/Saolta University Health Care Group, the study of over 400 farmers at the 2013 Ploughing Championships, again indicates that farming is far from a healthy profession.
The study also found evidence of ‘a strikingly high incidence’ of farmers being overweight with obesity a significant risk factor for asthma and obstructive lung disease.
“This observation [farmers tending to be over-weight] is concerning, given the recently described higher than average mortality and prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Irish farmers,” the study states.
Published in a recent edition of the Respiratory Medicine Journal, the study also found that there ‘was no significant difference’ in the numbers reporting respiratory symptoms between smokers and those who never smoked.
Galway IFA Chairman, Pat Murphy, said that the results of the study were worrying and probably represented a wake-up call for farmers in relation to the wearing of a proper mask when working in high risk environments whether it be sprays or dust.
“In many ways, farming is a very healthy occupation with an outdoor lifestyle but we now have to accept that it is also high risk,” he said.
He added that the findings of this latest study also were also in line with other recent reports indicating a problem with weight in the farming sector.
“Like all other working groups, we shouldn’t need any reminding that carrying extra weight is a major health issue and contributes also to chest and lung problems,” said Pat Murphy.
Professor Anthony O’Regan, Consultant Respiratory Physician at UHG, said that ‘remarkably’, almost two thirds of the farmers surveyed reported one or more chronic respiratory symptoms.
“Most were non-smokers (91%) – yet 13% had a pre-existing diagnosis of obstructive lung function. Unlike the non-farming population, obstruction on lung function testing was not associated with smoking but rather appeared to occur in those patients with symptoms or a prior diagnosis of asthma or hay-fever,” said Professor O’Regan.
He also pointed out that ‘Farmer’s Lung’ [an allergy caused by a reaction in the lungs to spores contained in mouldy hay] – previously felt to be common in Ireland – was reported by less than 1%.
Almost nine out of every ten farmers (89%) who took part in the study were over-weight, an observation described as ‘concerning’ in the report given the higher than average mortality rate and prevalence of cardiovascular [heart] disease.
One of the reasons for the high rate of respiratory problems could be a long standing exposure to airway irritants and inflammatory response triggers such as endotoxins [a poison releasing bacteria], fungal spores [possibly from mouldy hay], inorganic dusts and biological fumes.
Livestock farming – for whatever the reason – is also associated with higher rates of respiratory problems as compared to tillage and crop farmers. One of the conclusions of the study is that the high burden of lung disease is largely unrecognised.
“These results need to be considered in the context of high age-adjusted mortality rates in Irish farmers. Further studies are needed to more accurately determine the specific workplace exposures to account for our findings and to facilitate the development of preventative strategies,” the study concludes.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
