The Lung Doctor

I'm happy to share my insights on lung health, recently featured in The Guardian, one of UK's leading newspapers. Here is hoping to continuing the conversation on respiratory wellness and health.

Avoid mould and ride a bike: 20 expert tips on how to look after your lungs for life With air quality an increasing worry, the health of our lungs has never been more important. Here, experts share how to take care of yours

Did you know that allergies can develop at any age, even if you haven't previously experienced any allergic reactions?

💚It's not uncommon for adults to suddenly develop allergies to substances they were previously unaffected by. This phenomenon is known as adult-onset allergies.

💚The reasons behind adult-onset allergies can vary. These include changes in the immune system over time, exposure to new allergens in the environment, lifestyle changes, or even genetic predisposition.

💚 So, even if you've never had allergies before, it's essential to be aware of any new symptoms that might arise, as they could be related to allergic reactions.

Comment 💚 if you have ever experienced an allergy.

Super duper happy to share that the ebook version of my book 'Make Every breath Count' is now available on Amazon.😀

It is a true labour of love and hours of writing, editing and illustrating. I talk about the science of our lungs and share a whole lot of stories from my life and practice.🩺

It is a short and sweet book packed with useful information and tips on lung health.🫁

Go and get your copy today and leave a review on Amazon and let others discover this incredible journey too. 🙏

The print version will be out very soon!!

Make Every Breath Count: Science And Stories Of The Lung-A Pulmonologist’s Narrative Discover the incredible story of your lungs. In this informative and illustrated guide, pulmonologist Dr. Pallavi Periwal delves into the science of the lungs and shares anecdotes and stories from her own life and medical practice to help readers understand the importance of respiratory health. G...

We spend 90% of our time indoors and so it makes sense to clean the air you breathe for a significant amount of time.

Indoor air pollution is a real thing.

Common causes are

1. To***co smoke 🚬
2. Using wood/coal/dung for cooking
3. Cleaning products containing VOCs( volatile organic compounds).
4. Mold ( In damp and humid environment).
5. Pet dander 🐶🐱
6. Carpet and upholstery using formaldehyde as adhesive.
7. Unvented or poorly vented fuel burning appliances.
8. Certain varnishes and paint
9. Synthetic fragrances and air freshener
10. Paraffin wax candles🕯️

And some more. This list is not complete.

Few easy things to clean your 🏡 air are

1. Get indoor plants,🪴
2. Clean and dust as frequently as possible
3. Use green/ toxin free cleaning products
4. Control humidity ( use a dehumidifier or AC)
5. Take care of the HVAC systems ( Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems)- regular cleaning and maintenance.
6. Stop smoking
7. Pay attention to cleaning the carpets and curtains. They are dust traps.

Keep your indoor air safe. #airpollution #lunghealth #pulmonologist #cleanair

Do you suffer from sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea awareness #sleepbetter #sleepapneaawareness

https://www.thelungdoctor.in/post/5-surprising-habits-that-could-be-damaging-your-lung-health

Are you aware of the habits that could be harming your lung health without you even realizing it?

5 Surprising Habits That Could Be Damaging Your Lung Health As a pulmonologist, I've seen firsthand how important it is to take care of your lungs. Breathing is something we do automatically without even thinking about it, but the health of our lungs can have a major impact on our overall wellbeing. Unfortunately, there are many habits that could be damaging...

On World Asthma Day 2023, let's talk about common environmental triggers of asthma.

~Allergens such as dust mites, pollen, and mold.

~Air pollution from sources such as traffic, industry, and wildfires.

~To***co smoke, including secondhand smoke.

~Household chemicals and cleaning products.

~Cockroach allergens, pet dander, cold air, viral infections, exercise, strong odors, wood smoke, weather changes, food additives, and stress.

To reduce your exposure to these triggers, it's important to take proactive steps such as maintaining good indoor air quality, avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke, using natural cleaning products, and practicing stress-reduction techniques. If you have asthma, it's also important to work closely with your healthcare provider to manage your symptoms and ensure that you have access to the medications and treatments you need to stay healthy

Respiratory allergies in children can be challenging for the parents. Here is how you can deal with it.

Allergies in children: Do's and Don'ts Here are a few things that you can do to help manage allergy symptoms in children.

Deltacron and what we know about it.

https://www.thelungdoctor.in/post/deltacron-the-new-kid-on-the-block

Deltacron: The new kid on the block. I was sitting one morning just sipping my morning cup of coffee when a news article caught my eye, “ New COVID variant identified: Cases rising in UK.” “Oh no, not again”. That was my first reaction. It has been 2 years of uncertainty and hopelessness. Just unpleasant times and stories. Unex...

Have you ever wondered why some people don't get COVID 19? What is it that they are doing right? Or is it something beyond their control?
https://www.thelungdoctor.in/post/why-some-people-don-t-get-covid-19

Why some people don’t get COVID 19? With the onset of the third wave of COVID 19 in India and around the world, the pertinent question that strikes me is, “Why do some people not get Covid-19 yet others keep getting infected, one wave after the other?” Some got infected in the first wave with the alpha variant and now with Omicron...

Do you smoke?

Smoking puts you at a risk for many diseases. These are just a few types of cancers smoking is associated with.

Say no to to***co. There is really nothing good which comes out of it.

World lung health day 2021

You are what you breathe!
You really are. Ofcourse it is not easy to be in control of the air around you, but you are responsible for your health.
There are things that you can't control but there are things that you can.
So let's start at home. Here are a few things which will help cut down on air pollution.
1. Walk or use public transport as and when possible to commute.
2. Avoid burning garbage/ leaves in the open.
3. Try and minimize the use of cleaning products with too many chemicals. These contain VOC's which contribute to air pollution.
4. Stop smoking. Not only do you harm yourself but also those around you. Second hand smoke is equally dangerous for your family and those around you. And do you know about third hand smoke? This is the residual nitonine and other toxic things left on surfaces like curtains, sofa, carpets, walls etc by to***co smoke. When you touch these surfaces you come in contact with toxins.

Little things make a big difference.

One of the most common but ignored diseases is Allergy.

When your body's immune system reacts to a foreign substance, it is called allergy. Allergies are more common than you think. It could lead to coughing, sneezing, watering from the eyes, itching, rashes or even asthma attacks when severe.
The most common allergens are shown above. It could be something you eat, pets, pollen or medicines. These are just a few. But the list is exhaustive.

If you have recently developed the symptoms of allergy try and identity, what new thing have you incorporated in your daily routine.

Are you allergic to something? 🐝

Seemingly simple household objects. Yes, absolutely right. But in reality they can be the cause of your respiratory symptoms.

Top left: Incense stick/ dhoop burning is a respiratory irritant especially for asthmatics and people with other airway diseases like COPD and bronchitis.

Top right: Damp walls in your house. You may or may not see little black spots on them. This is fungus. Can cause severe allergies and lung conditions.

Bottom left: Desert coolers are a common cause of respiratory condition causing breathlessness.

Bottom right: Bonfire/ wood burning/ chulla smoke all release toxic gases harmful for the lungs.

I am not saying all these cause problems in everyone. But if you do have a respiratory condition try and find out what might be harming you. Try and identity and inform your doctor.

Yes, it is true. Bird feeding may be causing more harm to you than you think. The disease is called Bird fanciers disease.

Exposure to bird droppings or feather can cause lung diseases in some people. It might present with cough or acute breathlessness. But how do you identify and treat it?
The easiest way is to avoid exposure to it.

Do read the short blog to know more.
https://www.thelungdoctor.in/post/birds-and-lung-disease-what-you-must-know

Is there such a things as work related asthma??

Yes. If you have developed new asthma like symptoms at work, it could be Work related asthma(WRA).

It is usually caused by breathing in substances at work, like dust, chemicals, fumes and animal fur.
It may take a while at your workplace before you notice your symptoms. This is because it takes a while for your immune system to become sensitive to workplace triggers.
But once you’ve become sensitive to a substance at work, it can trigger asthma symptoms the next time you come in contact with it – even if it’s just in small amounts.

Get in touch with a lung specialist to know more of how it can be diagnosed and treated.

Do you find this information useful?
Give me a thumbs up 👍

Exercise induced Asthma (EIA) can be easily controlled.
But the first step is to identify you are suffering from this problem. Get in touch with your doctor if you suffer from cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, pain or fatigue during exercise. It usually begin during or soon after exercise. These symptoms can last for 60 minutes or longer if untreated.

Share with someone it might help.

Asthma is a common respiratory condition.
And in alot of cases it can easily be controlled if the trigger in identified. Every person may have a different trigger. These are the common ones listed above. The best way to avoid an asthma attack is to avoid the trigger.

Do you know your asthma trigger?

Sleep hygiene is simply good sleeping habits. It is a practice to ensure a good quality sleep.
If you don't already practice these, maybe you should give it a try.

Which of these do you follow?

In your life time, you will sleep for about 25 years of your life, that is about one third of your life.
Sounds a bit much isn't it? And yet we never really pay attention to how or why we should sleep better.
Read the article to know more.

https://www.thelungdoctor.in/post/secrets-of-a-good-sleep

Secrets of a good sleep. Did you know that we spend nearly one third of our life sleeping? That is about 25 years. Sleep is a vital human function which helps the body restore its energy and replenish itself. Not only is it important to sleep adequate number of hours but it is equally important to have good quality sleep.Th...

Do you have trouble sleeping well?

A good sleep is essential for functional well through the day and for being efficient and productive. It is the time your body rejuvenates itself.
There are a few things that could be disturbing your sleep. Try altering a few habits to sleep better.

Share this post if you feel it will help someone out. 💤

If you must heal yourself meditate, don't self medicate!

Self medication in the age of Google is a common phenomenon. Although sometimes it seems that the problem is solved, that phase might be temporary. In the long run it could be more dangerous in some cases. Seek appropriate medical advise where required.

Do you agree?

You can start practicing mindfulness today. It is a skill you can learn.

Mindfulness does not always mean you have to meditate or take out loads of time in a day. It can be as simple as focusing on your breathing a few minutes in the morning. In an age where multitasking is the norm, focus on doing one thing at a time and do it well. Enjoy your meals, leave the phone aside for a few minutes. Connect to your mind and know what is it that you really want.

Try them for a week and see what a difference it makes.



10m

Mindfulness has many benefits.

Modern life can be fast paced and hectic, but if you practice mindfulness in your daily life it can help you in dealing with stress and anxiety, improve efficiency, improve sleep and help alleviate chronic pain and fatigue. Some studies go on to suggest that managing stress well can lead to lesser cell(telomere) breakdown and thus slow aging.

Do you feel like these could be reasons good enough to start thinking mindfully?

When in doubt, remember the 3 A's of Mindfulness. These concepts are oversimplified. But really that is all there is to it.

Awareness: Be aware of yourself, your thoughts and feelings.

Attention: Focus your attention on the experiences of the present moment. Learn to be fully present in the 'Now'.

Acceptance: Accept the complete range of your emotions, joyous, painful and neutral to experience and live in the moment.

There are different ways in which people practice mindfulness but really the concept remains the same.

Do you think you might want to give it a try? Drop an emoji in the comments to let me know.

Everyone's talking about mindfulness these days.

It's not that complicated. Mindfulness is the state of being in the present moment. Living life in 'Now' instead of in the future or thinking about the past. Easier said than done. But it is something you can learn. It needs to be practiced.
More on this, in this space soon.

Can you close your eyes and just focus on your breathing for five minutes? Try it.

Can setting up ICU beds at home with oxygen solve your COVID 19 problem?

Getting this question alot. The short answer is NO.
Beds don't treat patients. Doctors, nurses, healthcare staff are required round the clock for sick patients. It can be a stop gap arrangement till you get admitted but believe me when I say that you will need more than just a bed and oxygen if suffering from mod- severe disease. This setup can work for patients who are discharged from hospitals and require nursing care post covid. Your doctor will be able to guide you better.
Don't hoard resources. Let them be used adequately where appropriate.

Snoring can be a menace, especially for your partner. Depending on the underlying cause, snoring can be treated. Sometimes with just simple and easy ways. Here are a few ways

https://www.thelungdoctor.in/post/how-can-snoring-be-treated


Pallavi Periwal Ruchir Bhandari

How can snoring be treated? Snoring can be a bit of a menace especially for your partner. Understand and use some of these strategies to reduce your snoring. When the snoring is not linked to or does not produce life threatening medical complications, the treatment of snoring mainly is for the bed partner or room-partner of th...

Did you know that your asthma could be managed better with just a few questions answered?


Pallavi Periwal

Do you snore? Are you often embarrassed when someone tells you that? Snoring could be a possible symptom of an underlying disease. Read on to find out 7 common reasons for snoring.

https://www.thelungdoctor.in/post/look-for-the-calm-within-yourself-2


Pallavi Periwal Ruchir Bhandari

7 Reasons for snoring? There are a number of reasons one snores. Find out why you or your partner maybe snoring. It could be life altering. What is snoring? Snoring is a sound which is made when you sleep, as air can’t pass freely through your nose and throat. This makes the surrounding floppy tissue vibrate and produce...