Why Would You Need To See A Pulmonary Specialist
A pulmonary doctor is trained to address any number of respiratory diseases, disorders and conditions. If you have COPD, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, rheumatoid lung disease or even a complicated case of pneumonia, you may be referred to a lung specialist. Once the lung doctor is called, make sure you have as much information as possible from your primary care physician, as well as a list of questions you may have, so you can go into your appointment with your pulmonary doctor prepared.
Choosing An Asthma Specialist: Points To Consider
When considering an asthma specialist, you should think about which types of asthma specialists have the skills and experience that best fits your needs, including your age, type of asthma, and medical history.
In some cases, you may need more than one specialist to manage your asthma. For example, if trigger your childs asthma symptoms, you may want your child to see a pediatrician and an .
How Do I Get A Referral To A Pulmonologist
You dont have to wait for your primary care provider to refer you to a pulmonary specialist. If you feel you need one, you can self-refer, if you have PPO insurance, or you can request a referral from your primary care provider. If your primary care provider doesnt want to give you a referral, speak to your health insurance company as it is within your rights to see a specialist if you have reason to believe you need one.
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After An Asthma Attack
You should see a GP or asthma nurse within 48 hours of leaving hospital, or ideally on the same day if you did not need hospital treatment.
About 1 in 6 people treated in hospital for an asthma attack need hospital care again within 2 weeks, so it’s important to discuss how you can reduce your risk of future attacks.
Talk to a doctor or nurse about any changes that may need to be made to manage your condition safely.
For example, the dose of your treatment may need to be adjusted or you may need to be shown how to use your inhaler correctly.
What Do Respiratory Specialists Do
Respiratory specialists are health care professionals who focus on providing care to people with pulmonary conditions. Both doctors and nurses can work as these types of specialists, as can technicians who are trained to perform certain types of procedures, including diagnostic tests used to collect information about respiratory conditions. In order to work as a respiratory specialist, it is usually necessary to complete basic medical training, followed by advanced training in the management of pulmonary conditions.
Many hospitals retain respiratory specialists on their staff to assist patients who are experiencing respiratory problems. Respiratory complications are common among patients in intensive care and patients with certain chronic conditions. Hospitalization can exacerbate respiratory problems as patients feel stressed, and a respiratory specialist can be part of the care team working to keep the patient as healthy as possible. If a patient is hospitalized specifically for a respiratory complaint such as asthma, the specialist may be the lead doctor on the patient’s team.
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Where Is My Nearest Specialist Asthma Centre
If youre referred to one of the specialist asthma centres around the UK it will be to the one thats easiest for you to get to. But the number of centres in any one area varies across different regions with some regions having several, and others only one. Usually a specialist asthma centre has a large catchment area.
Ask your GP where your nearest specialist care centre is. You may be able to claim back on travel costs to the centre. Find out more from the NHS.;
Each UK country also has a different approach to specialist care. Wales, for example, doesn’t have specialist centres. Instead it has networks of clinicians that may refer people to services in England.
This is one of the reasons that of the 200,000 people living with severe asthma symptoms in the UK, only a very small percentage of people access ongoing care at a specialist asthma centre.
Can An Allergist Help With Sinusitis
Absolutely. Board-certified Allergists are physicians who have received substantial training in the nonsurgical treatment of chronic sinus issues. Sinusitis, is due to an inflammation in the tissue of the sinuses that can be caused by allergies or microbes, and sometimes both. ;When sinuses become obstructed, germs fester and can cause an infection, congestion, and facial pressure. Your allergist can help diagnose the root causes of your symptoms and provide a regimen of non-surgical treatments to prevent recurring sinus infections or allergic reactions.
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Allergic Asthma And Xolair Discussion Guides
These discussion guides can help you get the conversation started with a specialist.
Allergic Asthma Discussion Guide
If you have not yet been diagnosed with allergic asthma, then the Allergic Asthma Discussion Guide may be helpful when talking to your asthma specialist.
XOLAIR Discussion Guide
If you have allergic asthma and want to discuss treatment options with your asthma specialist, then the XOLAIR Discussion Guide may be helpful to you.
What To Do If You Have An Asthma Attack
If you think you’re having an asthma attack, you should:
Never be frightened of calling for help in an emergency.
Try to take the details of your medicines with you to hospital if possible.
If your symptoms improve and you do not need to call 999, get an urgent same-day appointment to see a GP or asthma nurse.
This advice is not for people on SMART or MART treatment. If this applies to you, ask a GP or asthma nurse what to do if you have an asthma attack.
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Questions To Ask When Choosing An Asthma Specialist
Once you determine the type of asthma specialist you want to see, consider the following questions to help make the best choice:
Changes in medical coverage may mean that the doctor you now see will not be the one you see in a year or two. This makes it even more important to understand your asthma diagnosis fully, stay abreast of treatment methods, and follow your asthma action plan.
How Can An Asthma Specialist Help Me
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects your airways, and results in symptoms like shortness of breath, tightness in your chest, and persistent coughing or wheezing. Asthma can limit your air flow and cause difficulty breathing, which is why its a condition that must be taken seriously and needs medical attention and treatment as soon as symptoms first onset. If you have asthma, you may have experienced an asthma attack, which is a distressing situation in which your asthma onsets quite severely and makes it difficult to breathe.
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What Do You Call A Doctor Who Treats Digestive Issues Center
If you have issues with the digestive tract, you need to visit a gastroenterologist. A gastroenterologist is a specialist doctor who has a special interest and expertise in the diagnosis and management of diseases of the digestive system. Read more: What Do You Call a Doctor Who Treats Digestive Issues? Article
When Should I See A Pulmonary Specialist
Generally speaking, if you are having trouble managing a respiratory condition, disease or disorder or its symptoms, even with the treatment of a primary care doctor, it is time to see a pulmonary specialist. This could include asthma that is difficult to control, a complex case of COPD, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary embolism and more.;
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Who Are Asthma Specialists And What Do They Do
Allergist-Immunologist;Its common for people with asthma to also have allergies; the same allergens that can set off your hay fever such as pollen, dust mites, and pet dander can trigger asthma symptoms. An allergist-immunologist is a physician who is specially trained to identify asthma and allergy triggers, and can diagnose asthma and other allergy-related diseases. Your allergist-immunologist may conduct allergy and breathing tests to find the cause of your asthma.
Allergists-immunologists can do a deep-dive investigation into what could be causing your breathing problems. We now understand that asthma in many patients has an underlying inflammation, says Alan Goldsobel, MD, an allergist-immunologist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Northern California in San Jose. Working with this type of asthma specialist can make a difference in how well you manage your asthma: According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology , studies have shown that asthma patients who are treated by an allergist have fewer asthma flare-ups and emergency room visits.
Allergist-immunologists and pulmonologists may help you manage your asthma through their expertise in the following areas:
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What Does A Pulmonologist Do At Your First Visit
What should you expect when you make your first appointment with a lung specialist? You will be asked a number of questions about your symptoms and what you have been experiencing that made you decide to come in. Then you will receive a physical exam, where your lung doctor will listen to your lungs and your breathing. Your pulmonologist will want to measure your blood oxygen level and your lung function with a number of tests. First they will use a pulse oximeter, possibly followed by an arterial blood gas study, to test the oxygen in your blood as well as identify potential problems with lung function. Your lung specialist will also ask you to blow into a device called a spirometer to test how well air flows through your respiratory system. Finally, your lung doctor may need to conduct other tests to make a diagnosis, including a bronchoscopy, chest x-ray or CT scan. This allows your pulmonologist to get a thorough picture of your lung health and assess any airway or lung damage they are able to identify.;
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What Should I Do If I Think I’m Having An Asthma Attack
Stay calm and use your inhaler with the spacer. If you can, check your peak flow to see how bad the attack is. If you have a nebulizer, use this instead of an inhaler. If your breathing gets easier after using your medicine, you may still want to call your doctor to discuss follow-up or other treatments. Make sure your family knows what to do if you have an asthma attack.
Atopic And Contact Dermatitis/hives/skin Allergies
Atopic and contact dermatitis, eczema and;hives;are skin conditions that can be caused by allergens and other irritants. Often the reaction may take hours or days to develop, as in the case of poison ivy. The most common allergic causes of rashes are medicines, insect stings, foods, animals and chemicals used at home or work. Allergies may be aggravated by emotional stress.
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The Allergist Treats Asthma And Allergies
An allergist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and;treatment of asthma;and other allergic diseases. The allergist is specially trained to identify allergy and asthma triggers. Allergists help people treat or prevent their allergy problems. After earning a medical degree, the allergist completes a three-year residency-training program in either internal medicine or pediatrics. Next the allergist completes two or three more years of study in the field of allergy and immunology. You can be certain that your doctor has met these requirements if he or she is certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.
What Does A Pulmonary Specialist Treat
A pulmonary doctor is able to diagnose and treat lung conditions and diseases. Your lung doctor can treat conditions that affect your entire respiratory system, including your chest wall, lungs, thoracic cavity and upper airways. As such, a pulmonary specialist commonly diagnoses and treats patients with asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, tuberculosis and more. A pulmonary doctor can also help treat sleep-disordered breathing, like sleep apnea, and work in tandem with a sleep lab. While patients with uncomplicated versions of these diseases can often receive treatment from their primary care physicians, a pulmonary specialist can help with difficult cases or respiratory conditions and diseases with complications. Additionally, a pulmonary specialist has expertise in treating respiratory failure and providing complex interventions like mechanical ventilation. As such, you will always find a pulmonary dr. in an intensive care unit.;
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Managing And Controlling Your Asthma
Asthma is defined as a chronic condition, which means that you need to continuously monitor and manage your asthma throughout your lifetime. While there is currently no cure for asthma, with proper treatmentand management you can effectively control your asthma and live symptom-free.
Asthma treatment is successful if you learn all you can about your asthma including: symptoms,triggers,medications and ongoing asthma management to achieve control. You and you alone know how you feel and how your asthma is affecting you and you need to be responsible for acting when your asthma is not in good control.
Many people with asthma believe that their asthma is controlled but in fact, surveys have shown that most people accept levels of asthma control that fall far short of the standards described in the Canadian Consensus Asthma Guidelines. In order to control your asthma it is very important that you actually understand what good asthma control means.
Find Your Asthma Answers
Your Asthma Coach will support you by:
- understanding your health needs and providing you with personalised information tailored to your lifestyle
- identifying gaps in your treatment and recommending a plan to align with best practice treatment guidelines
- working with you to set and achieve goals for your asthma management
- offering regular support with the same Asthma Coach each time, you can also ring your Asthma Coach in between sessions if you have any questions or would like further information
- complementing your existing GP and/or specialist asthma care
- working with you to achieve good asthma control, which means fewer asthma symptoms
You can ask us about:
- How to use your;asthma medications most effectively
- Spacers
For example:
Health professional recommendations
Unfortunately, we do not hold a list of preferred health professionals or specialists. Your GP is best placed to offer you recommendations on health professionals in your local area.
Product recommendations
All;our;information;is;based on scientific research;and;as such, we are unable to make;product;recommendations. This includes;recommendations on;air;purifiers, humidifiers, de-humidifiers, air-conditioners,;cleaning;products;and nebulisers. You can read more about trigger reduction;here.;
Advocacy
Subsidies
Unfortunately, we cannot help you with accessing subsidies for medical equipment or medications. You can read more about the work we are doing to reduce the cost of medicines here.
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The Role Of The Pulmonologist In Copd
Seeing a pulmonologist may be necessary if you have a more complicated case of COPD. For example, your primary care provider may refer you to a pulmonologist if youre not responding well to COPD treatment, youre hospitalized for COPD exacerbation or your disease has reached a more advanced stage of COPD.
A pulmonologist may order a different combination of medications or special treatments for you. To better-assess your condition or implement diagnostic studies, they can also perform a bronchoscopy using a flexible scope to look down your airway and inside your lungs. A pulmonologist may also have a staff that is very much geared for the lung patient that a primary care provider may not have or be able to afford in their office. A pulmonologist may also be used to reinforce what the primary care provider has already initiated, especially the importance of smoking cessation in a patient who continues to smoke.
Is A Pulmonologist Or Asthma Specialist Right For Me
If you are finding that your asthma isn’t being adequately controlled with the help of your primary care doctor, you should consider being referred to an asthma specialist or pulmonologist. If you are needing to use your rescue inhaler more than twice a week, or are needing more than one or two courses of oral steroids in a year, a Pulmonologist or asthma specialist may be beneficial for you. For people with allergy-driven asthma, an allergist is the way to go. They’re the experts on how to help you gain control over your allergies that set off your asthma.
If the asthma diagnosis is in question or not determined completely yet, a Pulmonologist has the tools and capabilities for complete lung function testing and other tests that can better confirm or rule out asthma.
I am a firm believer that most asthmatics should be followed by a specialist. There are many amazing primary/general practitioner doctors out there that are equipped to handle mild intermittent asthma; however, in my opinion, an asthma specialist or Pulmonologist is a better choice. I was followed by my primary care doctor for many years until my asthma started being more bothersome and my doctor referred me to a Pulmonologist.
Both specialists are highly trained in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma. If your asthma is classified as more than mild intermittent, I would highly recommend being referred to a specialist.
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