Overview
Respiratory medicine focuses on diagnosing and managing conditions that affect your breathing and lung health. It supports people experiencing symptoms such as chronic cough, breathlessness, asthma, and sleep apnoea. A respiratory clinic can help you understand your symptoms and give you the best care for your lungs.
What is a Respiratory Specialist?
A respiratory specialist, or respiratory consultant, is a doctor who specialises in diagnosing and managing conditions that affect the lungs and the broader respiratory system. This includes the airways, lung tissue, and the muscles involved in breathing.
They work with patients who have symptoms such as persistent cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, or chest pain. Using a range of investigations such as spirometry, lung function tests, and imaging, a respiratory specialist can identify underlying issues and develop treatment plans to help manage or improve breathing.
While respiratory symptoms can sometimes overlap with those of heart conditions (i.e., cardiology), a respiratory specialist focuses solely on the lungs and breathing.
Who Can Benefit from a Respiratory Clinic?
If you’re experiencing ongoing respiratory symptoms or have an existing condition, a respiratory clinic can help you find the cause of your symptoms or help you manage an existing condition. You may also be referred if there have been abnormal findings on chest X-ray or lung function tests.
Common symptoms to look out for include:
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- Persistent shortness of breath
- A chronic or unexplained cough
- Wheezing or a tight feeling in the chest
- Frequent chest infections or slow recovery from them
- Coughing up mucus or blood
- Breathing difficulties during the night or on exertion
- Unexplained fatigue related to breathing
You may be referred or choose to visit a respiratory clinic for help managing existing conditions, such as:
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- Poorly controlled asthma
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Suspected sleep apnoea or other sleep-related breathing disorders
- Bronchiectasis
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Occupational lung conditions
- Long COVID with respiratory symptoms
Our Private Respiratory Services
Our pulmonary function tests are designed to evaluate how well your lungs are working. They help with diagnosis, guide treatment decisions, or monitor disease progression.
The lung function tests we use include:
- Spirometry: Used to assess how well you can breathe in and out, and how quickly you can exhale.
- DLCO: Measures how well gases are transferred from your lungs to your blood.
- FeNO testing: Used to detect airway inflammation, particularly in asthma.
- Oximeter checks: Measures blood oxygen levels during rest or exertion.
What Happens During a Private Respiratory Medicine Appointment?
During a respiratory medicine appointment, you’ll meet with a consultant to discuss your symptoms and medical history. Then your doctor might ask to assess how your lungs sound. They typically do this by placing a stethoscope on your back, asking you to breathe deeply while they move it around your mid and upper back. They may also gently tap the area to get a better picture of your lungs.
From there, your doctor may request a spirometry test or a more detailed lung function test to get a better idea of how your lungs are performing. Based on these results, your respiratory specialist consultant may recommend further testing or provide a treatment plan, which might involve lifestyle advice, medications, or onward referral.
Why Go Private With Mid Ulster Clinic For Your Respiratory Care?
Accessing private respiratory care gives you quicker access to answers, testing, and treatment so you can move forward with confidence. At Mid Ulster Clinic, we provide:
- Rapid access to an experienced private respiratory team.
- A full range of diagnostic testing carried out on site.
- No long waiting lists for spirometry tests or lung function assessments.
- A calm, professional setting with personalised care.
Take the next step towards clearer answers and better breathing – book your consultation today.
- Medically Reviewed
