Breathe Easy With Respiratory Care
October 22, 2024
Respiratory Care Week, October 20-26, celebrates respiratory therapists and other pulmonary clinicians and raises awareness about lung diseases and the research that might one day eliminate or at least reduce their impact.
The two most common respiratory ailments in the U.S. ‒ asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ‒ affect approximately 40 million Americans. Imagine being out of breath just reading that last sentence out loud ‒ that’s the reality for many with these diseases.
According to the American Lung Association, roughly 27 million people live with asthma and about 12 million, or 4.6% of adults, have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema ‒ lung diseases that over time make it harder to breathe. However, the latter number may be much higher because more than 18 million adults have evidence of impaired lung function, which may be undiagnosed COPD.
The good news is that many of these lung diseases are treatable, and in the case of COPD, often preventable (as it is usually caused by smoking). Every day, the pulmonary specialists at St. Francis-Emory Healthcare help patients breathe easier, despite their asthma or COPD or other respiratory condition.
Our team offers diagnostic, preventive, and treatment services for diseases that affect breathing and lung function. We provide comprehensive care after careful diagnosis using procedures such as bloodwork, bronchoscopy (a procedure that allows a doctor to look directly at the lungs using a thin, lighted tube), chest X-rays, CT scans, pulmonary function tests including spirometry, and sleep studies.
If you are unsure whether you have a respiratory condition, some of the symptoms can include:
- Blue fingernails or blue tone to the skin or lips
- Coughing that produces phlegm
- Extreme tiredness
- Fast breathing, or taking lots of rapid, shallow breaths
- Fast heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
If you are experiencing some of those symptoms, you should see a healthcare professional. You can also take a free lung health risk assessment and even find a doctor. Start with the quiz below.
Breathing is fundamental. As Respiratory Care Week reminds us, it should not be a struggle. If it is, please see a healthcare professional ‒ you might feel “like a breath of fresh air,” literally.