A new pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after completing clinical trials at Norton Pulmonary Specialists and other leading pulmonary hypertension treatment centers around the world. Sotatercept, sold under the brand name Winrevair, has been shown to increase exercise capacity, reduce symptoms that affect day-to-day activities and…
Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart. This pressure causes damage to the blood vessels in the lungs, which forces the heart to work harder to pump blood through the lungs. Pulmonary hypertension is rare and has no cure….
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to disorders that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related issues. The classic symptoms of COPD include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and trouble taking deep breaths. The signs of COPD getting worse could mean you are having a COPD exacerbation. A COPD exacerbation is sometimes called a flare-up. When symptoms…
Some of the hallmark symptoms of a coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are issues in the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs) and difficulty breathing. People with asthma do not necessarily have worse outcomes from COVID-19, but can you develop asthma after COVID-19? Can COVID-19 cause asthma? Asthma and COVID-19 Asthma affects the airways of the lungs….
If you’re sick in bed with COVID-19, you need to get up, stretch, breathe deeply and get your lungs full of as much air as you can — even though it hurts, according to a Norton Healthcare pulmonologist. Microscopic air sacs in the lungs — alveoli — are doing much of your respiratory system’s work….
Margaret Taylor, 72, started smoking as a 14-year-old growing up in Tell City, Indiana. It became an addiction of at least a pack a day that lasted a total of 46 years. “Things were different back then, and it’s just what you did,” she said. She was what you would call a heavy smoker, smoking…
The difference between emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be confusing. “While both are chronic conditions of the lungs, emphysema and COPD refer to different aspects of the diseased state of the lungs,” said David A. Hasselbacher, M.D., FCCP, pulmonary disease physician with Norton Pulmonary Specialists. “They are related but not the same.”…
Oprah Winfrey has opened up about her recent health scare that landed her in the emergency room and has urged people to get their flu and pneumonia shots. Oprah, 65, thought she had come down with a cold after an overseas trip, but eventually she was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was the latest of a…
New research shows vaping’s dangers may extend beyond the recent wave of deaths from pulmonary disease, as vaping also may increase cancer risk. The first study linking vaping to cancer found nearly 25% of mice developed lung cancer after 54 weeks of exposure to e-cigarette vapors containing nicotine. More than half the mice developed hyperplasia…
You’ve made the decision. Now, how to quit smoking? Don’t try to do it right away. You need to make a plan and let those closest to you know you have decided to quit. Accept the challenges that lay ahead of you. Since smoking is an addiction, you will be tackling one of the biggest…
Several recent deaths and more than 800 cases of lung disease associated with vaping have many asking about the safety of electronic cigarettes. Questions about the long-term effects of vaping also linger in the air. “Vaping is an unknown as far as impact it may have on the body,” said William O. Lacy, M.D., pulmonologist…
Many assume asthma is a disease that first turns up in childhood. But you can develop asthma as an adult, and many people do. It’s not uncommon for people at any age, even over 50, to be diagnosed with asthma. Adults can develop asthma from infections like bronchitis or pneumonia, or from allergies and irritants…