Respiratory Medicine in Chorley

Respiratory medicine is important as it helps manage and treat respiratory conditions. Respiratory disease affects one in five people and is the third biggest cause of death in England¹. Therefore, providing care for patients with these conditions helps improve and maintain the quality of life and prevent deaths for a large population of people.

Respiratory medicine also supports many other specialists within a hospital to provide the very best patient care.

These terms all describe the same specialty — a doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating diseases of the lungs and airways. 'Respiratory physician' and 'chest physician' are the terms most commonly used in the UK; 'pulmonologist' is the preferred term in the United States.

Yes, where allergies affect the respiratory system — for example, allergic asthma, hay fever causing respiratory symptoms, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis — respiratory physicians are well placed to assess and manage these.

Long COVID describes symptoms that persist for more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. Breathlessness, persistent cough, and exercise intolerance are among the most common respiratory symptoms.

A cough lasting more than 8 weeks deserves investigation. The most common causes are asthma, acid reflux (which can cause a cough without heartburn), post-nasal drip, and medication side effects (such as ACE inhibitors). More rarely, a persistent cough can be a sign of something else that requires further assessment.

Recurrent chest infections (more than one or two per year) are not something to accept as normal. They can be a sign of an underlying condition such as bronchiectasis, immunodeficiency, or structural lung changes. It is worth having this assessed properly.

You should consider seeking a specialist opinion if you have any of the following: a cough that has lasted more than 8 weeks; breathlessness that is unexplained or getting worse; recurrent chest infections (two or more per year); wheezing or chest tightness that is not well controlled; coughing up blood; an abnormal chest X-ray; or a known lung condition that is not adequately managed by your GP.