Docs: Pulmonary rehabilitation can help patients with lung diseases
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(
COPD
), ILD,
asthma
, lung disease and
lung cancer
often struggle with breathing difficulties.
In such situations,
pulmonary rehabilitation
is a treatment that helps improve the quality of life of these patients, said senior chest physician Dr Gaurav Agrawal, speaking at a CME programme at Allahabad Medical Association (AMA) Convention Centre on Sunday.
During his lecture titled Pulmonary Rehabilitation-- Beyond Medication, Agrawal said, "This treatment focuses on exercise,
respiratory techniques
, diet and mental health. The aim of this process is to increase the breathing capacity of patients and improve energy levels."
Dr Agrawal emphasised that "It can be lifesaving, especially for those who have to be hospitalised frequently due to respiratory problems."
The programme concentrated on enhancing patients' physical capabilities. Experts explained, "Exercise programmes focus on improving patients' physical and mental capacity. Respiratory techniques also improve the breathing capacity of patients, which allows the use of oxygen more effectively."
The comprehensive programme addresses mental health concerns, stress management and proper nutrition. Benefits include enhanced breathing, increased physical endurance, improved mental wellbeing, better ability to perform daily activities, and strengthened muscles for managing lung conditions.
Notable participants included Dr JV Rai, Dr Ashish Tandon, Dr Ashutosh Gupta, Dr Sujit Singh, Dr Anoop Chauhan and Dr Atul Dubey.
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Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘I had the American dream, but I dropped it': 4 family members share the unseen toll of cancer caregiving in India
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But the emotional and physical toll this takes on families remains largely unspoken, hidden behind cultural notions of duty and sacrifice. 'I associate one word with caregiving: exhaustion. Bone-crushing exhaustion,' said Saumya Sharma, 31, who cared for her father from 2018 until he passed in 2021, and is now supporting her mother through breast cancer treatment. 'The other one is probably resentment. Resentment with the sick, maybe sometimes, but mostly it is resentment with the situation. No matter what you do as a caregiver, it is never enough. It is as if you stop existing and now only the sick person exists,' she told A 2022 study cited by mental health expert Anjali Pillai, psychologist and programmes lead at SafeStories, Pune, found that two in five caregivers of cancer patients screened positive for depression. Yet, she says, this is just the tip of a crisis hiding in plain sight. For Pavithra Sekar, 28, caring for her mother with stage 3 breast cancer means living in a constant state of vigilance. 'Your brain always has the guard switch on. My mom won't sleep easily, and often she won't say what's bothering her, and we end up in the ER. There are no peaceful nights.' The financial burden is crushing. 'Cancer is a chronic disease, so not all bills are covered by insurance. Surgery and radiation are covered, but chemotherapy and regular medication are not. Medicine alone costs us Rs 20,000 a month,' she said. To manage expenses, Sekar lives on the city's outskirts, enduring a six-hour daily commute to work. The personal toll is just as devastating. 'I've been turned down by men and their families because they fear I'll also get cancer and they won't be able to support us,' she said, adding, 'No one really understands the intensity of cancer.' Sharma's sacrifice was perhaps the most dramatic. After earning admission to an Ivy League MBA programme and working in Boston, she returned to India in 2021 when her father's health declined. 'My company was applying for my H1B, but I dropped the American dream. I don't regret it. I was restless in the US knowing my family was suffering.' Healthcare professionals are witnessing this crisis firsthand. Dr Srinath, senior oncologist and founder at Asha Hospitals, observed that 'caregivers often carry the emotional weight of the diagnosis as heavily as the patient, but with far fewer outlets to express it.' The impact on patient care is direct and measurable. 'When a caregiver's physical or emotional reserves are depleted, it affects their ability to provide consistent and compassionate care. I have seen instances where caregiver exhaustion compromises the accuracy of medication administration or leads to missed follow-ups,' Dr Srinath said. Padma Shri Dr Rajendra A Badwe, chief executive of Tata Cancer Care Foundation and former Director of Tata Memorial Centre, has seen the full spectrum of caregiver experiences: 'Caregivers of cancer patients commonly face a range of challenges. Physically, they often experience fatigue and exhaustion from the demands of caregiving. Emotionally and psychologically, anxiety and depression are common, along with an inability to care for their own needs.' Yet he's also witnessed remarkable resilience. 'Some of them show remarkable courage to face the situation and garner strength to arrange everything so that no stone is unturned in treatment of their loved ones,' he told What makes the caregiver crisis particularly acute in India is the cultural context. For Ayushi Mathur, 37, who has been caring for her mother with metastatic breast cancer since 2018, the challenge is compounded by cultural expectations. 'Sacrifices and hard work are seen as your duty. You're just expected to do it.' 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Hindustan Times
a day ago
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Time of India
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