Latest news with #AmericanLungAssociation
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Saharan dust plume coming to Florida's air. Is it dangerous? How to protect yourself
Floridians may be treated to brilliant sunsets soon as two huge plumes of Saharan dust blow over the state, starting at the end of May. But for some people, dust in the air can mean anything from an itchy throat to more serious, lasting conditions. Every year from around June to September, a mass of sand, dirt and dry, dust air from the North Africa desert is pulled into the atmosphere to blow west. It's called the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), and it can help keep the hurricane season calmer as it dries out the air over the Atlantic and Caribbean basins. It's a thin layer, and many people may not even notice it other than marveling at the suddenly more vibrant skies at dusk. But it's still dust. Particulate matter is not good for human lungs. "Saharan dust lowers air quality by increasing the concentration of mineral dust, things like silica and quartz," Dr. Samuel Gurevich, a pulmonologist with Cleveland Clinic in Florida said in an email. "These tiny particles can travel deep into the lungs and cause significant inflammation." The dust also tends to make the air drier, which can further irritate airways, Gurevich said. This might mean a runny nose or itchy eyes. "But, for people with respiratory conditions, it can cause more serious symptoms or flare ups," he said. Studies have shown dramatically increased admissions to emergency rooms for asthma, pneumonia, heart failure and respiratory events during dust storms. A 2020 study in Miami showed a marked increase in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ER visits during a Saharan dust event. Here's what to know. "People with respiratory conditions, like asthma and COPD (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema), are especially vulnerable," Gurevich said. "Exposure to the dust can trigger asthma attacks or COPD flare-ups, leading to serious symptoms like shortness of breath and coughing, and sometimes sever enough to require an ER visit." Saharan dust can also affect people living with heart disease or diabetes, and it's especially risky for babies, children, pregnant women and older adults. The effects can last for weeks after exposure, Gurevich said. Gurevich suggests staying indoors on bad days with poor air quality, with the windows closed and the air-conditioner running. Air purifiers can help, especially if fitted with HEPA filters. "If you need to go outside, consider wearing a dust or surgical mask," he said. "And if you're driving, make sure to keep the windows up and the AC on to help filter the air." If you have a respiratory condition, keep your inhalers and medications with you and ready to use at all times, If you're with someone who has asthma, especially younger children or older adults, keep an eye on them as they may not recognize or speak up about their symptoms right away. Extra precautions should be taken for children, who are more susceptible to poor air quality, according to the American Lung Association. Their lungs are still developing, and they breathe in more air (and consequently more pollution) for their size than adults. And don't forget your pets. You can track air quality in your area at Even healthy people may experience irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath during times of heavy dust. The symptoms should fade once you remove yourself from the area or the air quality improves. "If you notice difficulty breathing, wheezing or tightness in the chest, or if your inhaler isn't helping like it should, don't wait for symptoms to worsen," Gurevich said. "Seek medical care right away. The longer you wait, the harder and more dangerous it is to treat." If you're not sure, the American Lung Association's Lung HelpLine at 1-800-LUNGUSA is staffed by nurses and respiratory therapists and is a free resource to answer any questions about the lungs, lung disease and lung health, including how to protect yourself during days of poor air quality. Particle pollution is ranked based on the size of particulate matter (PM) — a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets — in the air, according to the EPA. It's also called particle pollution. Particle pollution is ranked as: PM10: Inhalable particles with diameters generally 10 micrometers and smaller PM2.5: Fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. That's 30x smaller than the diameter of the average human hair. The microscopic solids and droplets can get into the lungs and possibly the bloodstrea This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Saharan dust to sweep over Florida. Here's how to protect your airways
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UnityPoint Health – Trinity's new medical system helps detect lung cancer earlier
UnityPoint Health – Trinity is going small in order to make a big impact on lung cancer. Its new acquisition is called the Ion Endoluminal System, a robotic-assisted machine for minimally invasive biopsy in the lung. '(The system) uses an ultra-thin catheter, which has a diameter of 3.5 millimeters and a working channel of two millimeters,' said Dr. Abdul M. Rana, a UnityPoint Health – Trinity pulmonologist. 'It lets us go into more peripheries to help us diagnose lungs that may not have been previously (examined by) biopsy-using traditional platforms.' A deeper look into the lung means lung cancer can be detected earlier, which Rana said is critical. 'Five-year survival is about 90 percent versus someone who is diagnosed with a Stage 4 disease,' Rana said. 'At that point, you're looking at a survival rate of 10 to 20 percent.' The need for the newly acquired system is clear: Both Iowa and Illinois have higher rates of new lung cancer cases than the national average, according to the American Lung Association. 'This platform gives us the ability to do multiple lung nodules in different parts of the lung, so it's not like you have to come back and get another lung biopsy,' Rana said. The same-day procedure lasts about two hours, and results come back in three business days. 'With the software, we are able to virtually identify the target,' Rana said. The feedback has been positive so far. 'Most of the physicians are either trained on it, or getting trained on it, but we do feel like the numbers will increase, and we will be better able to serve our communities,' Rana said. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Experts Warn Climate Change Is A ‘Health Emergency' In Open Letter
More than 25 leading medical, public health, and environmental health organizations released an open letter highlighting the health impacts of climate change and the pollution driving it. The open letter warns climate change is a 'health emergency' and is already harming people's health, regardless of where they live. It adds 'extreme heat is killing people' and has also been linked with a wide range of short-term and long-term illnesses. The letter also urges leaders at all levels to take action against the pollution driving climate change, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, vehicles and home appliances. 'The nation has strong measures currently on the books that are helping to drive down dangerous emissions,' the letter states. 'Leaders at every level should call for them to be kept in place, not rolled back or weakened.' The letter says these measures include tighter limits on mercury and air toxics from power plants, an updated national standard for particle pollution and investments in clean transportation. 'We are making progress and there are common sense opportunities for action at every level,' the letter states. Amongst the signatures are leaders from the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association, and the Children's Environmental Health Network. The American Lung Association's director of nationwide clean air advocacy, Diana Van Vleet said the letter highlights how 'climate change is harming our health in a very real and immediate way' in an interview. She added beyond what policy at needed at federal level, it also calls on states and local government to step up and 'make sure that they're taking action to reduce climate pollutants and protect people' from the climate impacts already here. She said it also reflects how certain populations are more at risk from the health impacts of climate change, including children, older adults and communities who live near pollution sources. 'Climate change really is an unprecedented challenge, and we need all hands on deck,' she told me. 'Many federal rules are on the chopping block, but these are popular standards which save lives," she added. "We cannot afford to go backwards, and it is just so important that we defend these life-saving rules and the EPA, whose mission is to protect health by cleaning up pollutants.' Ear, nose and throat surgeon Dr. Neelima Tummala said global warming and climate change are impacting patients in a number of ways in an interview. Dr. Tummala added these impacts include worsening allergies as the pollen season is starting earlier in the spring and lasting longer into the fall. She said the last 10 years were the hottest 10 years on record and added extreme heat records pose a threat to people who work outdoors, who may struggle to keep hydrated. 'We are living in a new normal, and our bodies are not accustomed to this degree of heat,' she told me. 'If you are working outdoors for an extreme amount of time, you are at risk for not staying well hydrated, which increases kidney disease. There are also mental health impacts with worsening anxiety, stress, and depression in the hotter summer months. Dr. Tummala said the spread of certain infectious diseases, like Lyme disease in the United States, is also affected as temperatures rise. 'We are also highly concerned about older individuals with underlying health conditions, and how breathing in polluted air impacts them,' she said. 'Ground-level ozone, or smog, is another really significant respiratory concern. It has been shown to cause increased inflammation of the upper and lower respiratory systems and increases breathing complications.'
Medscape
3 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
You Can Manage Pulmonary Embolism in Primary Care
About 900,000 people are affected by pulmonary embolism (PE) each year in the United States, according to the American Lung Association and about 100,000 people die each year as a result of the disorder. However, some patients diagnosed with PE may be at low risk for adverse outcomes, and some experts suggest primary care physicians (PCPs) can effectively manage these low-risk patients. According to some research, it's both possible and feasible. Another potential benefit: Research also suggests that outpatient treatment for low-risk patients could reduce the burden on the healthcare system while reducing costs. Detailed Assessment to Determine 'Low Risk' The concept of treating low-risk patients with PE at home is not new. A 2022 study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine described how 652 patients diagnosed with PE in the primary care setting of a large community-based health system fared. The researchers found a very low incidence of 7-day PE related hospitalization and a low rate of 30-day serious adverse events among the adult patients who were not transferred to the emergency department or hospital. Also, in August 2022, a panel reviewed the American Society of Hematology (ASH)'s guidelines on managing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and PE and suggested that home treatment is a possible option. The ASH Clinical Practice Guidelines on Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) stated, 'The panel also made conditional recommendations expressing a preference for home treatment over hospital-based treatment of uncomplicated cases of DVT and PE. Home treatment is suggested when there is a low risk for complications as well as a preference for direct oral anticoagulants for primary treatment of VTE.' One major component of this option, however, is making sure that a patient is actually at low risk. In fact, the authors of the Journal of General Internal Medicine study also noted that the patients diagnosed with PE in primary care tended to be at low risk, and making that determination is crucial. Typically, physicians who suspect PE begin with a physical examination of the patient. While the physician's clinical gestalt is important, many also use clinical probability scoring systems such as the Wells criteria to assess factors such as a patient's immobility, clinical symptoms of DVT, a previous DVT or PE, and hemoptysis, or the Geneva scoring system. The diagnosis of PE requires imaging studies such as computed tomographic pulmonary angiography, and lab tests, notably the D-dimer test, to confirm the likelihood of a PE. The next step is determining if the patient is at low, intermediate, or high risk. That information is crucial to making a decision about how to proceed, whether it's initiating anticoagulation treatment on an outpatient basis and sending the patient home, or it's directing the patient to go directly to the emergency department. Pulmonologist Gustavo Heresi, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, emphasized the importance of risk stratification to determine the likely prognosis for patients once they've been diagnosed with PE. The most commonly used prognostic tool is the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) index, which predicts 30-day mortality in patients with PE, and its simplified version, the sPESI, which uses fewer criteria but produces comparable accuracy results. Physicians can also use the Hestia criteria, Heresi said. Gustavo Heresi, MD If a physician determines that a patient is at low risk, then it can be appropriate for a PCP to manage the patient's condition. 'The initial management can be done in the primary care setting,' said Sai Sunkara, MD, a pulmonologist with UI Health in Chicago. In fact, it's easier now than in the past, given the advances in anticoagulation therapy, such as the use of direct oral anticoagulants. 'Low-risk patients who are stable and minimally at risk, can be treated at home after getting their diagnosis and a treatment plan,' agreed Heresi. But he cautioned that he can't envision the normalization of treating intermediate- or higher-risk patients in a nonemergent setting. 'I don't think that's likely to be conducive to an outpatient treatment management plan,' he said. Even for low-risk patients, there may be some barriers to outpatient management. According to Geoff Chupp, MD, professor of medicine (pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine) at the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, not every primary care office may have the necessary diagnostic equipment, such as CT machines. What PCPs Already Do PCPs already play a key role in caring for patients affected by PE. For example, they may educate patients at elevated risk for DVT because DVT can lead to a PE. Risk factors include cancer, a history of prior thromboembolism, pregnancy, and certain medical conditions, as well as people who have recently undergone surgery or spent time immobilized 'That's generally what we try to do is educate people,' said Lori Solomon, MD, MPH, a family physician and director of the Family Health Center at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. 'But sometimes you don't expect people to come in with pulmonary embolisms, so sometimes you just have to be vigilant when people come in and listen to their symptoms and take them seriously.' Lori Solomon, MD, MPH Even if the PCP does not take on the initial treatment of a PE, they still play a key role later. Around the 3-month mark, some patients become less adherent with treatment, said Branden Turner, MD, a family medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles. 'It's just human nature,' he said. 'The initial fear is gone, but you still need to take your medications.' He sets up telephone appointments at regular intervals to check in with patients. However, some patients may not realize when they can discontinue their anticoagulation therapy, and PCPs can take on that role, too, said Solomon. 'It's easy to start a medication, but sometimes people forget to stop it,' she said. Prioritizing Social Determinants of Health Before a physician contemplates sending a low-risk patient home on anticoagulant therapy, they need to find out some key pieces of information. For example, Wilson Pace, MD, professor emeritus in family medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, suggested determining: What is the patient's living situation? Do they have someone at home who can help them, or do they live alone? Is it possible to arrange for a home health nurse to check in on the patient at home? Does the patient have a pulse oximeter and blood pressure monitor to use at home? Branden Turner, MD PCPs are already well positioned to have or gather this type of information, said Solomon. 'That is why having a PCP is so important,' she added. 'Treatment plans and follow-up are very dependent on a patient's support system and living conditions.' Turner agreed. 'This is the crux to me of a good primary care physician: Being able to personalize the care to the patient based on the individual to get the best outcome for them,' he said. 'Health equity in practice. As long as the plan works for the patient and is safe, I'm open to navigate how to achieve the goal.'
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
RFK Jr.'s Cuts to Anti-Tobacco Agencies Slammed by Health Groups
Recent cutbacks at the Department of Health and Human Services will hurt, or even reverse, decades of progress in reducing the use of addictive tobacco products, more than 80 public health organizations and advocacy groups warned in a letter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The letter, signed by groups including the American Lung Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, raised alarm over the gutting of the entire Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the Food and Drug Administration 's Center for Tobacco Products. In the letter, the group said the agencies are already stretched thin, and further layoffs would derail efforts to remove unauthorized products and hold tobacco companies accountable.
