Some people do suffer from respiratory problems and a respiratory therapist is who can help them at times when they have problems breathing. This therapy is absolutely beneficial to those individuals who may suffer from problems with breathing and especially suffer from chronic conditions affecting the lungs as well as the airways. However, how the therapy works will depend on the condition and the diagnosis for each individual patient. There are certain common symptoms that may need treatment. These symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, a tight feeling in the chest, cough, and loss of appetite, headache and fever. Again there are other conditions that may require a respiratory therapist to use certain equipment. These conditions are asthma, lung cancer, emphysema, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis and farmer’s lung disease.
If you are suffering from any respiratory problems the first thing that you must do is see your physician. He should be able to tell you the cause of the problem and then prescribe a cure to it. Sometimes, you may be having some kind of allergy to substances in the environment or it may be your cigarette smoking habits or some sort of occupational hazard.
The most common disease related to breathing trouble is asthma. Children are found to be commonly affected and is mostly caused due to an allergic reaction to substances in the environment like pet dander, pollen, cigarette smoke, pollen, and some dust particles or maybe some food. Your respiratory therapist will be able to tell you better how to control your problem. Sometimes, stress and exercise and changes in temperature may also cause breathing trouble. A respiratory therapist usually uses corticosteroids for inflammation and bronchodilators for opening up the airways. These may be administered either with the help of an inhaler or a nebulizer which is also known as the breathing machine. Usually children are made to use a nebulizer till the time they learn how to use an inhaler.
Asthma may usually affect children while the elderly get affected by a condition called emphysema. It is very important that you visit a respiratory therapist if you suffer from this problem. Emphysema is normally an outcome of smoking or a deficiency of a protein that is meant to protect the lung from any harm or damage. The symptoms of this disease may include shortness of breath, cough and tightness in the chest. A respiratory therapist may use equipment like an oxygen tank or a tent to treat this condition of yours. There may also be other treatment that includes administering medication like steroids as well as bronchodilator drugs. If you are a smoker and suffer from breathing problems, the best thing to do would be to quit smoking because emphysema may also lead to other conditions like pneumonia.
Pneumonia is usually caused as a result of complications from other conditions. If you do not visit your respiratory therapist soon enough, the problem may linger and cause complications. Antibiotics may be the best form of therapy prescribed when you suffer from pneumonia but you can avoid this condition if you are cautious early enough.