<p>A team of specialists from the Aga Khan University Hospital conducted a Facebook Live session to create awareness and answer queries related to lung diseases and infections. The panelists were:</p><div>Dr. Bushra Jamil (Consultant Infectious Diseases)</div><div>Dr. Javaid Khan (Consultant Chest Physician and Smoking Cessation Specialist) </div><div>Dr. Naveed Rashid (Senior Instructor Cardiology)</div><div>Dr. Talha Shahzad (Senior Instructor Pulmonary)</div><div>Ms. Sunbul Sultana (Technologist, Cardiopulmonary)</div><div>
</div><div>Several lung diseases, conditions and infections were discussed during the very comprehensive Facebook Live session which was moderated by Dr Bushra Jamil. The team of specialists discussed multiple issues pertaining to lung health which included how smoking impacts lungs, how to quit smoking, Asthma, COPD, Tuberculosis, pollution, cystic fibrosis and SGPT. </div><div>
</div><div>Dr Javaid Khan spoke about how smoking impacts lung and is a major cause for a variety of lung diseases. He advised smokers to quit cold turkey and informed them about the medications and other treatments available which can help control withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, he advised against e-cigarettes and explained how there has been very little research conducted on them; hence it is not advisable to use them as an alternative to smoking.</div><div>
</div><div>“Asthma is a very common lung disease and 15% of our population is affected by this”, said Dr. Talha Shazad.</div><div>
</div><div>Dr. Talha spoke about the main cause of Asthma which is mainly dust allergens created by atmospheric pollution. He advised patients suffering from Asthma to use medications and inhalers in order to control their condition. Dr. Naveed Rashid talked about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and how its major cause is smoking. He further discussed how COPD is tougher to treat as compared to Asthma and the only way to stop its progression is to quit smoking. </div><div>
</div><div>Ms. Sunbul Sultana went on to discuss how at AKUH bronco provocation test is used to diagnose Asthma and its sensitivity level. She also discussed the procedure for diagnosis of COPD and the treatment options available. </div><div>
</div><div>Moreover, several other conditions and treatments were also discussed by the panelist. To view the recorded version of the session, you may visit the following link: https://www.facebook.com/AKUHPakistan/videos/2378469955778888/ </div>
