Breathing Lessons: A Doctor's Guide to Lung Health

by MeiLan K. Han M. D.

Overview

An authoritative, accessible guide to how our lungs work and how to protect them.

Every day, our lungs circulate 11,000 liters of air, provide us with life-sustaining oxygen, and allow us to speak, sing, and smell. It’s no secret that our lungs are one of our most vital organs, and yet most of us pay them little attention. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has reminded us of the importance of our lungs, and sparked interest in their function and the risks they face.

In Breathing Lessons, leading pulmonologist and national spokesperson for the American Lung Association Dr. MeiLan K. Han takes readers on a fascinating tour of this neglected yet crucial organ. Han explains the wonder of breathing and reveals how the lungs serve as the body’s first line of defense. She provides a timely overview of the latest scientific thinking about the leading respiratory risks—including indoor and outdoor pollution, smoking and vaping, wildfire smoke, and viruses like SARS-CoV-2—and offers practical advice on how to protect the lungs at each stage of our lives, beginning in the womb. She outlines the major categories of chronic lung disease and demystifies the process lung doctors go through in making a diagnosis and recommending treatments. With authority as both practitioner and medical researcher, Han argues powerfully for social policies that make preserving lung health a national priority.

Breathing Lessons is a rallying cry for lung health and an urgent call to start giving our lungs the attention they deserve.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393866629
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	11/02/2021
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	691,385
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

MeiLan K. Han, MD, is a professor of medicine and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care at the University of Michigan and a national spokesperson for the American Lung Association. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

1 How the Lungs Work 1

Lung Structure 3

The Mechanics of Respiration 18

2 The Battle Within: Your Lungs versus the World 25

The Lung Microbiome 29

Infections 30

Viral Infections 31

SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 38

Bacterial Infections 44

Mycobacterial Infections 49

Fungal Infections 53

3 Protecting Your Lungs for Life 55

Protecting Lungs in the Womb 58

Protecting Lungs in Childhood 66

Protecting Lungs in Adulthood 76

4 How Pulmonologists Think: The Science and Art of Diagnosing Lung Diseases 85

The Medical Interview 90

The Physical Exam 95

Pulmonary Function Testing 97

Imaging 101

Bronchoscopy 105

5 A Short Guide to Chronic Lung Diseases 109

Asthma 109

Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis 111

Treatment 112

COPD 114

Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis 115

Treatment 116

Cystic Fibrosis 118

Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis 119

Treatment 120

Interstitial Lung Diseases 121

Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis 123

Treatment 124

Lung Cancer 125

Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis 127

Treatment 128

Pulmonary Circulatory Disorders 130

Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis 131

Treatment 132

Respiratory Failure 133

Stem Cell Therapy 135

6 The Fifth Vital Sign 137

A Brief History Lesson 138

Finding Solutions 146

The Future of Lung Health 150

Acknowledgments 153

Notes 155

Illustration Credits 163

Index 165

Editorial Reviews

08/16/2021

“Breathing is an unapplauded marathon,” writes pulmonologist Han in her debut, an easy-to-understand and informative guide to lung health. She breaks down pulmonary health into six sections: “How the Lungs Work” covers lung structure and the muscles that move to make breathing happen, while “The Battle Within” is a primer on pollution, infections, and diseases, including viral, bacterial, and fungal infections (plus a quick look at coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2). “Protecting Your Lungs for Life” shares steps readers can use to take better care of their lungs (breastfeeding helps prevent childhood asthma, for example, while adults can make exercise a regular habit, as it likely has benefits for lung health), and “How Pulmonologists Think” prepares readers for medical interviews, imaging, and pulmonary testing. (even though medical technology is advancing, Han notes, listening to a patient report their medical history is still a crucial part of a diagnosis.) “A Short Guide to Lung Disease” spotlights asthma, cystic fibrosis, and respiratory failure, outlining their corresponding clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment, and “The Fifth Vital Sign” makes a case that lung function should be measured at a frequency on par with blood pressure. Han’s heartfelt plea to “preserve human lung health” hits all the marks. Comprehensive and accessible, this arrives right on time. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Combines memoir with how-to guide in order to explain the importance of our lungs…A practical guide to an essential organ; will especially interest readers of James Nestor's Breath."

Margaret Henderson

11/01/2021

In her first book, Han (pulmonary and critical care, Univ. of Michigan) combines memoir with how-to guide in order to explain the importance of our lungs, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how she was drawn to diagnosing and treating lung disease. Han outlines how these diseases are poorly understood and often overlooked as well as the ongoing impact on our lungs from various environmental contaminants. She is especially adept at detailing the effects of environmental racism, explaining chronic illnesses (e.g., asthma, cystic fibrosis, COPD), and their particular impacts on Black communities. Han stresses the danger of indoor air pollution (such as the mold or mildew that can reside in a home or office) and outdoor pollution, like asbestos, dust, vapor, and gas that can linger in an area long after a natural disaster. She concludes by showing the connection between lung health, air pollution, and climate change and offering steps for advocating for oneself. She also offers advice on what to expect when first visiting a pulmonologist. VERDICT A practical guide to an essential organ; will especially interest readers of James Nestor's Breath.—Margaret Henderson, Ramona, CA

Library Journal

2021-08-26
A concise and accessible look into one of the body’s most “incredible” organs.

The heart, brain, and sex organs have long dominated popular health writing, but Covid-19 has raised the profile of the lungs; readers seeking a painless introduction will find it here. Pulmonologist Han, professor of medicine at the University of Michigan and national spokesperson for the American Lung Association, clearly has an abiding love for her favorite organ, which “provides our bodies with life-giving oxygen, rids us of excess carbon dioxide, and regulates the blood’s acid-base balance while also moving air past our vocal cords and nose, allowing us to speak, sing, and even smell.” Unfortunately, the lungs suffer from neglect in government and the health care industry; compared with heart disease, research on lung disease is trivial. We’re familiar with the blood pressure cuff, but few family doctors have a spirometer, a simple device that measures lung function. Han’s expert summary of lung diseases includes the familiar infections as well as asthma, emphysema, and lung cancer, still the leading malignancy. “Roughly 10 percent of long-term smokers will eventually be diagnosed with lung cancer,” she notes. Children of mothers who smoke during pregnancy suffer more respiratory illnesses, and if raised in a house where the parents smoke, they’re at higher risk of asthma as well as lung and ear infections. Cigarette smoking is unquestionably deleterious, but, as a physician, the author cannot generate enthusiasm for any method of quitting; she emphasizes that e-cigarettes, widely promoted as a safer alternative, are no such thing. The author also discusses why vaccines work superbly against infections and how diet and exercise prevent heart disease. However, there is only feeble evidence for any positive action to strengthen lungs. Mostly, it’s a matter of avoiding things. Not smoking is achievable, but avoiding air pollution is difficult; the same goes for secondhand smoke and innumerable chemicals, vapors, dusts, and molds.

A fine primer to an essential organ.

Kirkus Reviews

"A comprehensive guide to lung structure, without seeming too daunting to a layman reader… [Han's] call for pulmonary education could not have come at a better time."

The Lancet - Bri Paterson

"Breathing is essential to life, yet historically, the lungs haven’t received as much attention as other organs of the body. Especially as our world faces the intersecting health threats of COVID-19, chronic lung diseases, and air pollution, Breathing Lessons is an imperative and engaging read for all those who breathe."

Harold Wimmer