Bronchial asthma is a medical condition which causes the airway path of the lungs to swell and narrow. Due to this swelling, the air path produces excess mucus making it hard to breathe, which results in coughing, short breath, and wheezing. The disease is chronic and interferes with daily working. The disease is curable and inhalers help overcome asthma attacks. Bronchial Asthma can affect any age or gender and depends upon environmental and hereditary factors at large. When ignored, disease proves fatal claiming lives in many cases. As per a recent survey, more than 1 million cases are reported every year in India.
The symptoms may vary from individual to individual and depends on environmental factors. A person may show regular symptoms of the disease or periodic symptoms that may prompt at a certain time. The most common signs of asthma that can help diagnose the disease are:
Breathlessness or short breath while talking, laughing, or running.
Upper-airway obstruction occurring during sleep—that is, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB)—was first demonstrated in the 1960s. SDB represents a group of physiopathologic conditions that are characterized by an abnormal respiratory pattern during sleep that can be isolated or can coexist with other respiratory, nervous, cardiovascular, or endocrine diseases. SDB is now known to be widely prevalent in the general population, and it is responsible for or contributes to numerous problems, ranging from fragmented sleep patterns to hypertension to traffic accidents.
SDB includes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which consists of breathing cessations of at least 10 seconds occurring in the presence of inspiratory efforts during sleep. Central sleep apnea (CSA) consists of similar apneas, but these instead take place in the absence of inspiratory efforts.
Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. When cancer starts in the lungs, it is called lung cancer.
Lung cancer begins in the lungs and may spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body, such as the brain. Cancer from other organs also may spread to the lungs. When cancer cells spread from one organ to another, they are called metastases.
Lung cancers usually are grouped into two main types called small cell and non-small cell. These types of lung cancer grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs, though it can affect any organ in the body. It can develop when bacteria spread through droplets in the air. TB can be fatal, but in many cases, it is preventable and treatable.
In the past, TB, or “consumption,” was a major cause of death around the world. Following improvements in living conditions and the development of antibiotics, the prevalence of TB fell dramatically in industrialized countries.
A person may develop TB after inhaling Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) bacteria. When TB affects the lungs, the disease is the most contagious, but a person will usually only become sick after close contact with someone who has this type of TB.
A person can have TB bacteria in their body and never develop symptoms. In most people, the immune system can contain the bacteria so that they do not replicate and cause disease. In this case, a person will have TB infection but not active disease.
Doctors refer to this as latent TB. A person may never experience symptoms and be unaware that they have the infection. There is also no risk of passing on a latent infection to another person. However, a person with latent TB still requires treatment.
The body may be unable to contain TB bacteria. This is more common when the immune system is weakened due to illness or the use of certain medications.
When this happens, the bacteria can replicate and cause symptoms, resulting in active TB. People with active TB can spread the infection.
Without medical intervention, TB becomes active in 5–10% of people with the infection. In about 50% of these people, the progression occurs within 2–5 years of getting the infection, according to the CDC.
Spirometry (spy-ROM-uh-tree) is a common office test used to assess how well your lungs work by measuring how much air you inhale, how much you exhale and how quickly you exhale.
Spirometry is used to diagnose asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other conditions that affect breathing. Spirometry may also be used periodically to monitor your lung condition and check whether a treatment for a chronic lung condition is helping you breathe better.
Your doctor may suggest a spirometry test if he or she suspects your signs or symptoms may be caused by a chronic lung condition such as:
Asthma
COPD
Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema
Pulmonary fibrosis
If you've already been diagnosed with a chronic lung disorder, spirometry may be used periodically to check how well your medications are working and whether your breathing problems are under control. Spirometry may be ordered before a planned surgery to check if your lung function is adequate for the rigors of an operation. Additionally, spirometry may be used to screen for occupational-related lung disorders.
Decortication refers to a surgical procedure done to free a fibrous capsule that has formed around the lung, secondary to an inflammatory process, such as an infection. Ordinarily there is a space between the lung and the inside of the chest wall, with this space "lubricated" by a thin layer of fluid. In some conditions, such as pneumonia, or after an episode of bleeding in the chest, this space can fill with fluid which can eventually solidify and form a capsule around the lung. This type of infection is called an “empyema”. The infected material deposited onto the lung is called a pleural peel.
As the capsule grows, it can entrap the lung and cause problems with breathing. In a decortication operation, the surgeon works to remove this capsule and free the lung so that it can function normally. Following the decortication surgery, you will have a drainage or “chest tube” left in for a few days until your lung is totally healed and stuck up to the chest wall. Our surgeons use minimally invasive techniques such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to perform the procedure.
Pleurisy is a type of chest pain. It affects a part of your body called the pleura.
The pleura is a thin layer of tissue that wraps your lungs. They fit snugly within your chest, which is lined with another thin layer of pleura.
These layers keep your bare lungs from rubbing against the wall of your chest cavity every time you breathe in. There’s a bit of fluid within the narrow space between the two layers of pleura to keep everything moving smoothly.
When you’re healthy, you never notice your pleura at work. But if your pleura has a problem, you’ll feel it.
When the pleurae are swollen and inflamed, they rub against each other in a very painful way each time your lungs expand. When you inhale deeply, cough, sneeze, or laugh, you’ll probably feel a sharp, stabbing pain in the area that’s affected.
Chest pain from pleurisy has signs that can make it easy for your doctor to know that you have it. You’re likely to notice these things:
A sharp, stabbing pain that causes you to take small, shallow breaths because it’s worse when you try to breathe deeply
Pain that spreads to your shoulder or back
A cough
Fever and chills
Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi cause it. The infection causes inflammation in the air sacs in your lungs, which are called alveoli. The alveoli fill with fluid or pus, making it difficult to breathe.
The germs that cause pneumonia are contagious. This means they can spread from person to person.
Both viral and bacterial pneumonia can spread to others through inhalation of airborne droplets from a sneeze or cough. You can also get these types of pneumonia by coming into contact with surfaces or objects that are contaminated with pneumonia-causing bacteria or viruses.
You can contract fungal pneumonia from the environment. However, it doesn’t spread from person to person.
Pneumonia symptoms can be mild to life-threatening. They can include:
Pneumonia symptoms can be mild to life-threatening. They can include:
fever
sweating or chills
shortness of breath that happens while doing normal activities or even while resting
chest pain that’s worse when you breathe or cough
feelings of tiredness or fatigue
loss of appetite
nausea or vomiting
headaches
Children under 5 years old may have fast breathing or wheezing.
Infants may appear to have no symptoms, but sometimes they may vomit, lack energy, or have trouble drinking or eating.
Older people may have milder symptoms. They can also exhibit confusion or a lower than normal body temperature.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a group of many lung conditions. All interstitial lung diseases affect the interstitium, a part of your lungs.
The interstitium is a lace-like network of tissue that goes throughout both lungs. It supports your lungs' tiny air sacs, called alveoli. Normally, the interstitium is so thin that it doesn’t show up on X-rays or CT scans.
A bronchoscopy is a procedure that allows a doctor to examine the inside of the lungs, including the bronchi, which are the main pathways into the lungs.
During a bronchoscopy, a doctor inserts a thin tube containing a light and camera into the lungs through the nose or mouth. The doctor can use the findings to diagnose infections, tumors, or diseases in the lungs.
It is a relatively quick and painless procedure, it requires little preparation, and people tend to recover quickly.
In this article, we describe what to expect before, during, and after a bronchoscopy. We also discuss the uses of this procedure and associated complications
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.
Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy.
With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
There isn’t a cure yet for diabetes, but losing weight, eating healthy food, and being active can really help. Other things you can do to help:
Take medicine as prescribed.
Get diabetes self-management education and support.
Make and keep health care appointments.
By definition, a general physician means a doctor who has specialized in general medicine and provides non-surgical care to patients. You can seek care from such professionals for almost any medical issue, common or unusual, and the doctor will be with you through the process until recovery. A general physician assesses conditions, diagnoses them, and offers preventive care solutions to patients. There are two types of general physicians, namely, specialist physicians and general practice physicians. Specialized physicians are those who primarily focus on specific diseases, disorders, or areas of the body. General practice physicians offer generalized care and refer patients to specialists if required.
A general physician has a long list of responsibilities because he/she is the first point of contact for most patients. As such, these are a few things that physicians do:
Diagnose conditions and injuries
Conduct routine check-ups
Recommend medical tests for further diagnosis
Assess a patient’s condition and review medical history
Prescribe medication and treatment
Assist in routine surgery
Counsel patients on wellbeing and proper self-care
Maintain patient records for optimal preventive care
Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. It can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and sometimes death.
A general physician has a long list of responsibilities because he/she is the first point of contact for most patients. As such, these are a few things that physicians do:
Hypertension is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and aneurysm. Managing blood pressure is vital for preserving health and reducing the risk of these dangerous conditions.
Lifestyle adjustments are the standard, first-line treatment for hypertension. Some recommendations are as follows:
Current guidelines recommend that all people, including those with hypertension, engage in at least 150 minutesTrusted Source of moderate-intensity, aerobic exercise every week, or 75 minutes per week of high-intensity exercise.
Avoiding or learning to manage stress can help a person control blood pressure.
People can use specific medications to treat hypertension. Doctors will often recommend a low dose at first. Antihypertensive medications will usually only have minor side effects.
Eventually, people with hypertension may need to combine two or moreTrusted Source drugs to manage their blood pressure.
Fever is also known as hyperthermia, pyrexia, or elevated temperature. It describes a body temperature that’s higher than normal. Fever can affect children and adults.
A short-term increase in body temperature can help your body fight off illness. However, a severe fever can be a symptom of a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.
Recognizing a fever can enable you to get treatment and proper monitoring for it. Normal body temperature is typically around 98.6°F (37°C). However, the normal body temperature for each person can vary slightly.
Normal body temperature may also fluctuate depending on the time of day. It tends to be lower in the morning and higher in the late afternoon and evening. Other factors, such as your menstrual cycle or intense exercise, can also affect body temperature.
To check you or your child’s temperature, you can use an oral, rectal, or axillary thermometer.
Fever occurs when a part of the brain called the hypothalamus shifts the set point of your normal body temperature upward. When this happens, you may feel chilled and add layers of clothing, or you may start shivering to generate more body heat. This eventually results in a higher body temperature.
There are numerous different conditions that can trigger a fever. Some possible causes include:
Infections, including the flu and pneumonia
Some immunizations, such as diphtheria or tetanus (in children)
Teething (in infants)
Some inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn’s disease
Blood clots
Extreme sunburn
Food poisoning
Some medications, including antibiotics
Preventive cardiology is a specialty of cardiology that helps you manage heart disease risk factors before they get worse. Cardiology is a branch of internal medicine that focuses on your heart and blood vessels. So, preventive cardiology focuses on early prevention to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy. It’s a form of preventive medicine that can make a big impact on your health and well-being.
You may already see a cardiologist for heart checkups. You’d keep seeing your cardiologist if you join a preventive cardiology program. But you’d also receive care and advice from providers in many different specialties.
That’s because preventive cardiology takes a whole-body approach to caring for your heart. Your heart and blood vessels are team players. They work with your kidneys, endocrine system and many other “players” to keep your body going strong. But when one of the players gets injured, the whole team has to step in to help. So, a heart problem might put more work on your kidneys. Or a hormonal imbalance might lead to high blood pressure and more stress on your arteries.
Since your internal body parts work as a team, it makes sense for your healthcare providers to also work as a team. That’s the logic behind this innovative and collaborative form of care. Your preventive cardiology team includes providers from a range of specialties. They all receive additional training and certifications.
The cardiologists on your preventive cardiology team support all aspects of your heart health. They collaborate with other specialists on your team. Preventive cardiology programs can help you with two types of heart disease prevention:
Primary prevention: Primary prevention helps you prevent heart or blood vessel problems before you have an event like a heart attack, stroke or surgery.
Secondary prevention: Secondary prevention helps you after you’ve had a heart event. The goal is to stop heart disease in its tracks and not let it get any worse.
Both types of prevention involve risk assessment, medical management and lifestyle management. Your preventive cardiology team provides care in each area.
A mediastinoscopy is a procedure used to examine the mediastinum. This is the space behind the breastbone (sternum) in the middle of the chest, between the 2 lungs. It contains:
Lymph nodes
The heart and its great vessels
The windpipe (trachea)
The tube that leads down to the stomach (esophagus).
The thymus gland, a part of the immune system
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drsgmestri@gmail.com
+91-9322947988