1.- DO NOT SMOKE: Tobacco smoke is the main cause of COPD in the western world. Quitting smoking is difficult, but not impossible and always brings a benefit for COPD patients: it prevents or reduces disease progression and increases life expectancy. Quitting smoking is probably the best treatment for COPD. EXERCISE: Exercise increases oxygen utilization, … Read more
Lung cancer, which is associated with an overall 5-year survival of less than 20%, is the most lethal of all cancers. According to experts in Pneumology, the main problem with lung cancer is that it does not present symptoms until it is in an advanced stage, so when it is detected the therapeutic possibilities are … Read more
Commonly, the age of onset of bronchial asthma is childhood, but throughout my experience in Pneumology I have seen its onset at any age. In general, life expectancy, especially in the absence of smoking, does not differ from that of the normal population. Approximately 3% of cases of chronic asthma associated with smoking, morbid obesity, … Read more
The relationship between pneumonia associated with COVID-19 has become an object of study and research worldwide. How is it treated? Is it possible to prevent it? How does it evolve? In the following, I will try to explain what is known to date about this pathology. Pneumonia is an infection of the lung, the origin … Read more
Pneumonia is an acute inflammatory process of the pulmonary parenchyma of infectious origin and when it affects the population not admitted to a hospital it is called Community Acquired Pneumonia. It is not a single process but a group of infections caused by different microorganisms and affecting different groups of people. The microorganisms are transmitted … Read more
The respiratory system can be divided into several parts, parts that can in turn suffer from specific diseases. The respiratory tract: these are the tubes through which the air circulates from the moment it enters the organism to the lungs. They are divided into upper and lower airways: Upper airways: these are the nose, sinuses, … Read more
Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the bronchi. Although triggers for symptoms (allergens, viruses, occupational/environmental factors, etc.) have been suggested, the cause is not known. Can it be a genetic disease or is there a predisposition? Is it a chronic disease? It is not a genetic disease, but there is a family predisposition. If both … Read more
This disease originates when the pulmonary alveoli are progressively destroyed and the difficulty in breathing becomes greater and greater. As they are destroyed, a larger space is created, instead of small chambers. And this affects the extension of the lungs and the amount of oxygen reaching the blood. What is pulmonary emphysema? This disease progressively … Read more
Sleep apnea is one of the most common respiratory disorders, characterized by the collapse of the upper airway during sleep. This causes constant oxygen deprivation on the one hand and repeated transient awakenings on the other, resulting in fragmented and non-refreshing rest. Symptoms of sleep apnea Snoring and respiratory arrest during sleep are confirmed by … Read more