What specialist are you?

When I visited my village Jakhau (in Kutch, Gujarat), few months back, I introduced myself to a few people and said that I am a chest physician. One of them pondered for a while and said, “oh, so you are a cardiologist”.  I said “no no, I am a lung specialist, a pulmonologist, a respiratory physician”. After a couple of minutes he came back and asked what specialist are you exactly?  So I asked him what is Sachin Tendulkar’s specialty? He gave a shocked look (questioning my intelligence) and said that he is probably the best batsman world has ever seen. So I went on explaining that like in cricket we have specialist batsman, bowlers, wicket keepers, for human body we have specialists for every organ-system. Then I realized that this question is not limited to my remote village!

Today every new thing, new discovery, new inventions have global reach via the newspapers, internet, television and print media. New ideas and upcoming specialties in any field becomes visible to the world in no time. But unfortunately, some things still go unnoticed. In medicine (as a whole) there are newer and newer specialties and sub specialties coming up, in short you will get specialist for every organ in nearby future. Most organs of your body have the privilege of a specialist looking after them. Likewise me and doctors like me are specialists which take care of your lungs. When you get chest pain you rush to doctor thinking (and worried) that it might be related to your heart. You shower them with 100 questions about “your heart”. But what you forget that there is another organ besides “your heart” which needs equal importance, “your lungs”. They are your source of oxygen, probably the most element for your survival!

Lungs not only provide you oxygen, but filter out a lot of impurities (like kidney). It is probably the most exposed organ of your body, to the external environment. Today with rising pollution, overcrowding, poor ventilation, increasing vehicular traffic, and less time to exercise, all your organ systems are getting affected. I feel that the lungs bear the most damage. Thankfully, God has made them miraculously resilient to damage but they are not invincible. Smoking, either by you or your friend/colleague can damage your lungs the most. Improper diet, both in terms of quality and quantity, are making people more prone to infections and lungs are getting affected the most. Tuberculosis, an ancient illness, still ranks in the top ten causes that kills youth. World Health Organization has projected COPD, i.e. chronic obstructive lung disease, to be the number 3^rd killer globally in coming years. Asthma, such a common (and easily managaeble) problem goes un-noticed for many years, been regarded as cough/allergy and many other names. I can go on and on about the lung diseases which kill or atleast reduce your quality of life. But most of you know all this, right?

Then why am I talking to you about it? Sadly, when I see a patient with a respiratory problem, the disease is in its advanced stage and I am left with very few options to treat (most of the chest physicians will agree with me on this). Respiratory medicine is one of the newest specialties and it is growing day by day. Newer inventions and developments in this field are making life easier for patients with respiratory problems.

After a long discussion, finally that gentleman in my village understood who I am, and what I do. I know I still have to be prepared for the same question again “What specialist are you?”, but, well, now you know my answer!