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Lung Diseases

Listen to your lungs

Are you huffing and puffing, hacking or crackling? Those lungs might be giving you a noisy wake-up call. Lung disease affects millions of Canadians. And our asthma rates are among the highest in the world.

Take our two easy online tests below to figure out what your lungs could be telling you. Don’t ignore the symptoms that might be right under your nose.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic (life-long) condition that makes it harder to breathe. This is because the airways in your lungs are more sensitive, and get filled with mucus or tighten up when you’re around triggers, making it harder for air to pass through.

While asthma can’t be cured, with proper treatment, people with asthma can lead normal, healthy, active lives.

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COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of lung diseases where people have difficulty breathing because their airways have been narrowed. It includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Here you can find the ‘need to know’ info on COPD, including what causes flare-ups, treatment and management.

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Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a term used to describe the growth of abnormal cells inside the lung. These rogue cells take over and compromise the ability of the lung to supply oxygen

There are different types of lung cancer. Each type grows and spreads in different ways. Each type of lung cancer will be treated differently.

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Lung Disease Glossary

From A to Z (or asbestosis to work-related asthma), our lung health glossary covers a wide range of important topics.

We’re here to help you learn about lung health – and breathe better.

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Take the Lung Health Check

Check in with your chest

It may be tempting to overlook things like a nagging cough or slight wheeze, but they can be early warning signs of lung disease. Let’s take a few minutes to check out how healthy your lungs really are. Answer these nine simple questions to find out the state of your respiration. 

If you, your child or other family member answers YES to ANY of the following questions, contact a healthcare provider. Do you:

  1. Currently smoke?
  2. Cough regularly, with or without mucus?
  3. Cough up blood?
  4. Feel short of breath at rest, during physical activity or sports? (compared to others of a similar age and fitness level)
  5. Wheeze (whistling sound in chest) or get chest tightness or chest pain?
  6. Have any of these symptoms at work or school:
    • Cough
    • Wheeze
    • Chest pain
    • Shortness of breath
  7. Wake up in the night with any of these symptoms:
    • Cough
    • Wheeze
    • Chest Pain
    • Shortness of breath
  8. Get frequent colds that last longer than those of other people? Do your child’s colds last longer than other children’s
  9. Snore loudly or have pauses in your breathing during sleep? Tired after a normal night’s sleep or sleepy during the day?

Speak to a Certified Respiratory Educator about your results – it’s free! Call the Lung Health Line at 1-888-344-LUNG (5864), or email us at info@lunghealth.ca

Take the Asthma Control Check

Wheezing when breathing?

Many people with asthma miss work, skip sports or wake up during the night because of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. But with proper care and monitoring, you can reach asthma control. Below you will find tools and advice on how to regularly check up on your asthma, and what to do about it if it does get out of control. To ensure that you are getting the proper treatment, you should continuously keep an eye on the disease and communicate with your doctor.

If you answer YES to any of these questions, speak to your healthcare provider about the right medications for you to take control of your asthma.

  1. Do you have to use your reliever inhaler more than twice per week?
  2. Do you have asthma symptoms more than twice per week (cough, wheeze, difficulty breathing)?
  3. Do you ever have difficulty exercising or playing sports because of asthma?
  4. Do you wake up even one night per week because of asthma (cough, wheeze, difficulty breathing) and if so, are the symptoms mild?
  5. Have you missed school or work days in the last month because of asthma?
  6. Do you ever have asthma flare-ups (worsening of cough, wheeze, difficulty breathing)?

Questions about asthma?

Call the Lung Health Line at 1-888-344-LUNG (5864), or email us at info@lunghealth.ca.