Respiratory

Common symptoms of respiratory conditions may include:

Allergies

Respiratory allergy symptoms occur when your immune system overreacts to airborne particles like pollen, dust mites, or pet dander. They commonly include a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, coughing, and red, itchy, or watery eyes. In more severe cases, it can trigger asthma symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath.

Cough

A persistent cough is a common symptom of many respiratory conditions, including infections such as a cold, flu or pneumonia, or a long-term condition like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Your cough may be dry or productive (with mucus). The type, consistency and colour of the mucus you cough up can also help your consultant make a diagnosis

Chest pain or tightness

Pain, tightness or discomfort in your chest can be a result of infection or inflammation in your lungs, such as pneumonia or pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane around the lungs). Severe, sudden chest pain accompanied by shortness of breath may be a sign of a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). This is a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment.

Fatigue

Many respiratory conditions cause fatigue (extreme tiredness or weakness even after rest) due to the increased effort of breathing and low levels of oxygen in your blood.

Fever

A high temperature can be a symptom of a respiratory infection such as a cold, flu, COVID-19, or pneumonia.

Shortness of breath

Feeling short of breath or difficulty breathing is a symptom of many respiratory conditions, including asthma and COPD.

Wheezing

Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling or rattling sound during breathing that occurs when your airways become narrowed. It can be a symptom of asthma, COPD or bronchitis

Respiratory medicine includes a range of conditions that affect your lungs and airways, including infections, asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and lung cancer. Below are some of the conditions our consultants are specialists in.

Asthma, allergies and infections

Asthma is a common condition in which the bronchi (airways to the lungs) become irritated and inflamed, making it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs. The inflammation makes the airways produce extra mucus, which causes a cough and further obstruction to airflow.

Allergic asthma occurs when the airways become hypersensitive to certain allergens, such as pet hair or pollen, causing the immune system to overreact and the airways to tighten.

Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung condition where your airways (bronchi) become abnormally widened and scarred. This damage prevents the lungs from clearing mucus effectively, leading to a vicious cycle of mucus buildup, bacterial infections, and inflammation.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD is a progressive lung disease characterized by long-term damage to the airways and air sacs. This damage leads to chronic inflammation, causing the airways to narrow and making it permanently difficult to move air in and out of the lungs. 

The two main conditions that make up COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

• Emphysema Occurs when the air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs are damaged
• Chronic bronchitis Is characterised by chronic inflammation of your airways (bronchi)

Pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult. Most cases of pulmonary fibrosis have no known cause (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis), but the condition may be caused by an autoimmune disease, medication or environmental factors

Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a common form of cancer that affects over 43,000 people a year in the UK. It is a serious form of cancer that is commonly caused by smoking. Symptoms of lung cancer include a persistent cough, coughing up blood, fatigue, pain when coughing and unexplained weight loss.

Sleep Apnoea

Sleep apnea is a common condition where your breathing stops and starts while you sleep. The most frequent type is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), which occurs when throat muscles relax too much, causing the airway to collapse and block airflow.

Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a rare condition that causes small patches of swollen tissue, called granulomas, to develop in the organs of the body. It often affects the lungs and lymph nodes, and can also affect your skin.

Pleurisy

Pleurisy is inflammation around the lungs, which causes sharp chest pain. The pain may be worse when you cough, sneeze or move around. It may also spread to your shoulders and back

Sports-related breathlessness

Sports-related breathlessness, often called exertional dyspnea, is difficulty breathing during physical activity. While mild breathlessness is normal when pushing your body, excessive breathlessness that limits your performance or causes distress usually points to specific, treatable underlying conditions rather than just being "out of shape".

Treatment for respiratory conditions depends on different factors such as your diagnosis and your general health. When you have your first appointment with one of our consultants, you will assess your symptoms, make a diagnosis and create a bespoke treatment plan for you tailored to your individual needs.

Tests to evaluate your symptoms include:

Bronchoscopy

A bronchoscopy is a test to look inside the airways in your lungs. A thin, flexible tube called a fibre-optic bronchoscope through your nose or mouth, down your windpipe and into your lungs. This tube has a light and a very small camera at one end to help see into your airways.

Ultrasound-guided pleural procedures

These use real-time sonography to safely access the pleural space for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons (e.g.,). These include pleural aspirations, chest drain insertions, and biopsies. Using ultrasound significantly reduces complication risks, such as pneumothorax or organ punctures.

The first step for any patient is usually an initial consultation. Unless your GP or insurer has told you otherwise, you should book your first appointment with a member of our respiratory team.

Our respiratory consultants are listed below, where there are more details of their areas of clinical interest and appointment times. Alternatively, please call our dedicated team of friendly advisors on 020 8546 6677.

At Kingston Private Health, you can either use your private health insurance or pay for your own treatment.