Questions about lungs & breathing

Dr A. Ashok Kumar ("Dr Ashok Pulmo") is a pulmonologist and critical care physician in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, with an MBBS and MD in Pulmonology from Saveetha Medical College, Chennai. He sees patients at AK's Amma Hospital, KR Palli, beside the Municipal Corporation Office.

A pulmonologist is a doctor who specialises in the lungs and breathing: asthma, COPD, TB, pneumonia, ILD, long cough, sleep apnea and lung failure. Many pulmonologists, like Dr Ashok, are also trained in intensive care.

See a pulmonologist for a cough lasting more than 2–3 weeks, wheezing, breathlessness, blood in cough, loud snoring with daytime sleepiness, repeated chest infections, or an abnormal chest X-ray.

Call 093448 53689 or send a WhatsApp message to the same number. Bring your old reports, X-rays and current medicines.

AK's Amma Hospital, Ground Floor, D-No 2, 58/1, Officers Lane, beside Municipal Corporation Office, KR Palli, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh 517001.

OP consultation is every day, Monday to Sunday: morning 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and evening 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Emergency and ICU services are available 24/7. Call or WhatsApp 093448 53689.

Yes. The hospital is open 24 hours with emergency, ICU, ventilator and oxygen support.

Dr Ashok speaks Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English fluently, so patients from Chittoor district, nearby Tamil Nadu towns such as Vellore, and Hindi-speaking families can explain their problem in their own language.

Yes. The hospital is in Chittoor town, within easy reach of Tirupati, Puttur, Palamaner, Punganur and Vellore. Call or WhatsApp ahead to plan your visit.

No. Inhalers deliver a very small dose straight to the lungs, so they act faster and with far fewer side effects than tablets or syrups. They are the safest way to treat asthma, including in children and pregnancy, when used as advised.

Asthma can become very quiet for long periods, especially in children, but the tendency usually stays. The goal is good control: no night symptoms, normal activity and no attacks.

They are linked but not the same. Many people with asthma also have allergies such as sneezing or itchy eyes, and treating both together gives better results.

Yes. With good control, exercise is encouraged. Your doctor may suggest using your reliever before exercise.

No. Asthma often starts young and the airways open up well with treatment. COPD usually starts after 40 in smokers or smoke-exposed people, and the narrowing is more fixed. A lung function test helps tell them apart.

The lung damage does not reverse, but treatment can clearly improve breathlessness, reduce flare-ups and hospital stays, and help people stay active.

Yes. Years of smoke from firewood or dung cooking, dust at work and past TB can all cause COPD.

Only if your oxygen level stays low at rest or on walking. This is checked with simple tests before any decision.

Yes. Most people with TB are cured when they take the full course of medicines regularly. Stopping early can make the germs resistant and much harder to treat.

Usually at least six months for TB that responds to standard medicines. Drug-resistant TB needs a longer course.

The Government of India provides free TB tests and medicines through the National TB Elimination Programme. The doctor can guide you on how to use it.

Lung TB can spread through the air, but after about two weeks of correct treatment the risk falls a lot. Family members should be checked if they have symptoms.

Mild pneumonia in a healthy adult often can, with close follow-up. People who are elderly, breathless, have low oxygen or other illnesses usually need hospital care.

Fever usually settles in a few days with the right treatment, but tiredness and cough can last several weeks.

Yes. Pneumococcal and flu vaccines lower the risk, especially for people over 60 and those with long-term illnesses. Ask whether they suit you.

Usually not. Flu, COVID-19 and most acute bronchitis are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not work on viruses. The doctor uses them only when there are signs of a bacterial infection such as pneumonia.

A cough can linger for up to three weeks after the fever settles. If it lasts longer than three weeks, or you are breathless, get checked.

Come at once if you are breathless, your oxygen is below 94%, you have chest pain, confusion or bluish lips, or the fever keeps coming back.

Yes. Yearly flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines lower the risk of severe illness, especially for people over 60 and those with long-term illnesses. Ask whether they suit you.

Scarring that has already formed does not go away, but in many types of ILD treatment can stop or slow further damage. That is why early diagnosis is important.

ILD changes are often fine and can be missed on an X-ray. HRCT shows the pattern clearly, which helps decide the type of ILD and its treatment.

Yes. Long exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers can cause a type of ILD called hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Removing the exposure is a key part of treatment.

It is done under local anaesthetic, so most people feel only pressure. Breathing often eases right after.

It may, if the cause is not treated. Treating the cause is what keeps the fluid from returning.

No. Bronchiectasis is airway damage, and old TB is one of its causes. It is not infectious like TB.

Knowing which germ grows in your phlegm helps choose the right antibiotic quickly when a flare-up happens.

A cough over 2 weeks should be checked for TB, especially with fever, weight loss or night sweats. Most long coughs have simpler causes, but a check-up gives peace of mind and the right treatment.

Syrups only quieten the cough. If the cause is asthma, allergy or reflux, treating that cause is what stops it.

No. TB is a common cause in India, but infection, bronchiectasis and other conditions can also cause it. Tests are needed to find the real cause.

Sometimes blood comes from the nose, gums or throat. The doctor will check where it is really coming from.

Not always. Simple snoring can be harmless, but snoring with pauses, gasping or daytime sleepiness suggests sleep apnea and should be checked.

CPAP is a small bedside machine that blows gentle air through a mask to keep the throat open during sleep. Most people feel more rested within days of regular use.

Yes. Night cough, wheezing, breathlessness and sleep apnea all break sleep. Treating them often improves sleep without needing sleeping tablets.

Allergic rhinitis and asthma often occur together, and poorly controlled nasal allergy can make asthma worse. Treating both helps.

Medicated anti-allergy nasal sprays prescribed by a doctor are designed for regular use. Decongestant drops should only be used for a few days.

No. The heart, blood (anaemia), thyroid and weight can all cause breathlessness. A careful check finds the real reason.

Sudden severe breathlessness, breathlessness with chest pain, blue lips or confusion needs emergency care at once.

No. Breathing, cough and heart risk start improving within weeks to months of quitting, at any age.

No. Beedi is at least as harmful as cigarettes for the lungs and heart.

No. Most small spots are old infections or scars. The doctor decides whether a spot needs follow-up scans or tests.

Yes. Second-hand smoke, indoor smoke, air pollution and family history are risks, so warning signs matter for everyone.

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV or BiPAP) gives breathing support through a tight-fitting mask, without a tube in the throat. It often helps patients with COPD or respiratory failure avoid a ventilator.

Yes, at set visiting times, and the doctor updates the family on the patient's condition and plan every day.

Dr Ashok is an MD who worked in general medicine before specialising. Diabetes and BP also affect lung infections, TB and ICU recovery, so managing them together helps.