A new research study released on Friday indicated the risks of lung disease are widespread in Australia but its symptoms often go ignored.
A poll of more than 800 people aged over 35 found more than a third (35 percent) experienced at least one important symptom of possible lung disease like chest tightness, a persistent cough or breathlessness in the past 12 months.
The same research also estimated seven million working-age Australians faced a routine risk of lung disease, either through exposure to noxious substances at their job or because of smoking.
Professor Christine Jenkins from the University of Sydney's Concord Clinical School said the research pointed to an illness that was often downplayed despite its ability to dramatically reduce the quality - if not the length - of a sufferer's life.
"The community is afraid of heart disease, the community is not aware of and not afraid enough of lung disease," Jenkins said.
"People tend to think that breathlessness is something they can manage more effectively than a devastating event like a heart attack.
"But ... breathlessness means that your lungs are not in good condition and, unfortunately, often it means there has been destruction of lung tissue and you can't get that back."
Jenkins said early detection offered the best hope of halting the decline in a person's lung functioning.
There were 2.6 million cases of lung disease reported across Australia in 2007-08, while many more cases were undiagnosed.