Health Awareness
Respiratory Health 2020
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AI tool could pick out patients at highest risk of relapse
Most advanced cancers undergo genetic changes that enable them to resist drugs meant to kill them. Scientists like Dr Yinyin Yuan are working to better understand why this happens in lung cancer. New research, which aims to harness the principles of evolution to stop cancer in its tracks, has transformed our understanding of how lung...
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It is time we prioritise the lung health of our children and this must begin at the school gates
COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of having healthy, resilient lungs, so why are we taking unnecessary risks with children’s health by exposing them to dangerously high levels of air pollution on the school run? The invisible killer Air pollution is a major public health risk, and the biggest environmental threat to human health. Invisible to...
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Airway clearance therapy may improve COPD patient quality of life
Quality of life is hugely important to any COPD patient. Research into Airway Clearance Therapy suggests that mucus clearance is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of its benefits to patients. Some 1.2 million people in the UK[1] live with chronic pulmonary obstruction disease (COPD). The disease can have a drastic effect on...
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Improving air quality around schools to protect children
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for school streets. Closing streets to traffic at school times and reallocating space to walking and cycling can help maintain physical distance amongst parents and children and improve air quality. A reduction in air pollution is critical given the emerging evidence that poor air quality, already particularly harmful...
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Breathlessness – when to seek help
Public Health England advice to “Stay Alert” during the current coronavirus pandemic has heightened the nation’s vigilance for symptoms of respiratory disease. Together with fever and cough, breathlessness is one of the most feared symptoms today as the number of deaths from SARS-CoV-2 infection continues to increase worldwide. Breathlessness, known medically as ‘dyspnoea’, is a...
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Improve your quality of life with cleaner indoor air
In the UK, we spend on average 90% of our time indoors, where air pollution is typically 2-5x worse than outdoors. After you read this article, the first thing you should do is open a window. The main reason air quality is worse indoors is poor ventilation. So, while air pollution is at its lowest...
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Online clinics and at-home treatments are supporting patients with COPD and asthma
Times of emergency often breed innovation and adaptation of new technologies. COVID-19 has put enormous strain on health services across the globe. Here in the UK, the NHS has had to make use of new technology and treatments to help patients with respiratory conditions stay away from hospitals and remain in the safety of their...
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Because lung cancer won’t wait
COVID-19 may dominate our headlines, our hospitals, our minds, but our priority remains the same – lung cancer and supporting the people who are living with it. They say, when we’re faced with adversity, we find out who we really are. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. During those...
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Can your income make your asthma worse?
COVID-19 has left deep scars on the poorest parts of our society. The high death rates in the most deprived areas of the country highlight the need for urgent action to address health inequalities[1]. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is not the only respiratory condition where your wealth makes a difference to your health. Asthma affects 5.4 million...
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Supporting NHS education with online training
The COVID-19 outbreak sadly brought the entire world to a standstill, leading to loss of lives and an unprecedented economic recession. Mechanical ventilators can be key to a patient’s recovery. The government has called upon established manufacturers to build ventilators to support the NHS demand during COVID-19. Ventilators have been, and will continue to be,...
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Technology has helped us to cope in times of crisis
I’ve heard many people say that we are lucky COVID-19 didn’t happen 10 years ago. And they are right; technology has been a cornerstone for how many of us have coped throughout this crisis. While my own GP practice in Portsmouth had already been quick to embrace the online healthcare revolution, the outbreak of COVID-19...
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COVID-19 and clean air
Clean Air Day 2020 has not gone ahead as planned. Due to COVID-19, it has been postponed to 8 October 2020. This coronavirus-induced pause on what should have been Clean Air Day 2020 provides a moment to reflect. What would make this a clean air day? Would we like this, and every day, to be...
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One person dies every hour of pulmonary fibrosis
Imagine that every breath you take is an effort. This is what it’s like for around 70,000 people in the UK living with the devastating lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is a little-known condition that causes scarring or stiffening of the lungs, making it hard for oxygen to pass from the lungs to the...
