Respiratory Medicine

State-of-the-art Care for Respiratory Tract Diseases

Pulmonology is a branch of medicine that deals with the treatment of diseases of the respiratory tract. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is today, among the most common diseases that have taken on epidemic proportions worldwide. Due to rising pollution, other lung-related chronic ailments like asthma and allergic rhinitis are also fast becoming major issues.

Are you Suffering from any of the following symptoms:

• Cough, breathlessness and wheezing from chest, and often associated with running nose and sneezing.
• Coughing of blood (hemoptysis).
• Pain chest which increases on deep inspiration and coughing.
• Breathlessness on exertion which is progressively increasing often associated with dry cough.
• If you are smoker and there is a recent change in nature of cough with hoarseness of voice.
• Snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, obesity with occasional choking episodes during sleep.

If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms, do not hesitate to contact our Pulmonary department at Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata.

Some Common Respiratory Diseases Include:

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

COPD is an obstructive lung disease where the airways become damaged, causing them to narrow, leading to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs, causing shortness of breath (dyspnoea). COPD is usually caused by noxious particles or gas, most commonly from tobacco smoking, which triggers an abnormal inflammatory response in the lung.

Bronchitis

Acute bronchitis occurs when the inner walls that line the main air passageways of our lungs become inflamed. Bronchitis often follows a respiratory infection such as a cold, which if left untreated, can lead to Chronic Bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is defined in clinical terms as a cough with sputum production on most days for 3 months of a year, for 2 consecutive years. Inflammation causes a thickening of the walls and results in narrowing of the airways. As a consequence of these changes, air flow becomes limited.

Asthma

An incessant cough accompanied by a wheezing sound is usually indicative of asthma. This is an inflammatory lung disease that is usually brought on by triggers like air pollution, tobacco smoke, factory fumes, cleaning solvents, infections, pollens, certain foods, cold air, exercise, chemicals, and medications. Asthma, apart from the juvenile form that usually cures by itself by 23-24 years of age, is a condition that needs lifelong treatment.

Respiratory Tract Infections

Infections can affect any part of the respiratory system. The most common among these is rhinitis, which is often mistaken for common cold. A perpetually blocked or runny nose may be indicative of rhinitis. It is caused by inflammation in the nasal passage. Pneumonia is a lower respiratory tract infection that is caused by bacteria. If left untreated, it can develop into lung abscess or may spread to the pleural cavity.

Pleural Effusion

A collection of fluid in the pleural cavity is known as pleural effusion. This may be due to fluid shifting from the bloodstream into the pleural cavity due to conditions such as congestive heart failure and cirrhosis, or it may be due to inflammation of the pleura itself caused due to an infection, tuberculosis, and other conditions.

Interstital Lung Disease ( Diffuse Lung Parenchymal Diseases)

A large group of diseases presenting with cough and breathlessness on exertion which increases progressively.

Lung Cancer

A disease more common among smokers, usually presenting with cough, chest pain, breathlessness and hemoptysis (coughing of blood).

Medica offers comprehensive, state-of-the-art care in Pulmonology, including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of all its sub-specialties.

Facilities Available

Conditions Treated

• Airway diseases
• Diffuse parenchymal lung disease
• Pulmonary vascular diseases
• Lung cancer
• Pleural diseases
• Pulmonary infections
• Mycobacterial infections
• Sleep and ventilator disorders Snowing and obstructive Sleep Apnea

Interventional Pulmonology

• Fibreoptic bronchoscopy
• Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), brushings, and end bronchial biopsy
• Trans bronchial lung biopsy (TBLB)
• Bronchoscopy fine needle aspiration of the lymph node
• CT-guided fine-needle aspiration and biopsies
• Ultrasound-guided pleural effusion drainage
• Bronchial artery embolization
• Pleuroscopy, Pleural Biopsy and Pleurodesis
• Tracheal and Bronchial Lumenisation using cryo / Electrocautery Stenting / Balloon Bronchoplasty.

Lung Function Tests

• Spirometry, Dlco estimation, 6 min walk test

Respiratory distress in children

Most children suffer from mild to severe respiratory infections each year and it may be due to virus, bacteria, allergies or other factors. Since in children these infections can quickly turn for the worse, it is necessary to monitor them closely and get in touch with a doctor if required as soon as possible. To know more