Delhi NCR, and Ghaziabad in particular, regularly faces high levels of particulate pollution (PM2.5 and PM10) from construction, traffic and seasonal crop burning. For anyone living with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or post-viral airway sensitivity, these conditions can trigger serious flare-ups. Healing Tree Hospital's chest medicine service in Indirapuram focuses on getting the diagnosis right and building a plan you can actually follow.
Asthma vs COPD: two different diseases
Both narrow the airways, but they need different management:
- Asthma: a chronic inflammatory condition in which the airways over-react to triggers like dust, pollen and pollution. The narrowing is reversible, and it shows up as wheezing, chest tightness and cough, often starting in childhood or young adulthood.
- COPD: a progressive condition, usually linked to smoking or long-term smoke exposure (including biomass cooking fuel), with permanent damage to the air sacs (emphysema) and chronic airway inflammation (chronic bronchitis). It typically brings daily phlegm and breathlessness that worsens over the years.
Getting the diagnosis right: spirometry and PFT
- Pulmonary function testing (spirometry): measures how much air you can move and how fast. It is the key test for confirming airway obstruction and for tracking how well inhalers are working.
- Allergy screening: identifies the specific triggers behind asthmatic reactions.
- Imaging (chest X-ray, CT where needed): rules out infection, structural problems or interstitial lung disease.
Treatment: technique matters as much as the prescription
Inhaled medicine only works if it reaches the lungs. Alongside a tailored inhaler plan, our chest physician's team teaches spacer and rotahaler technique and builds pulmonary rehabilitation into long-term care. For acute breathlessness, the hospital's emergency department and ICU can provide high-flow oxygen or non-invasive ventilation (BiPAP) support while the flare-up is brought under control.