Respiratory Health
How to do pursed-lip breathing when COPD makes you breathless
A slower out-breath through narrowed lips can ease the air hunger of COPD. The steps, how often to practise, positions that help, and when to call.
Dr. Mohammad Fawzi Katranji
Consultant Pulmonologist & Sleep Medicine Specialist
Dr. Katranji is a consultant physician specialising in pulmonary disease, critical care and sleep medicine, practising in the UAE since 2014. He trained in internal medicine at St. John Hospital in Detroit, in pulmonary and critical care medicine in Michigan, and in sleep medicine at Wayne State University.
Credentials
- American Board of Internal Medicine
- American Board of Pulmonary Medicine
- American Board of Critical Care Medicine
- American Board of Sleep Medicine
Articles written
Respiratory Health
Bronchiectasis symptoms and why a cough keeps coming back
A cough that keeps returning with phlegm is sometimes damaged, widened airways rather than another chest infection. What a CT scan shows that spirometry cannot, and what long-term care involves.
Respiratory Health
Chronic bronchitis and how it differs from COPD
A productive cough that has gone on for years already meets a clinical definition. What chronic bronchitis does to the airways, why a lung test comes next, and where it parts from COPD.
Respiratory Health
COPD symptoms that are easy to explain away as age
Respiratory Health
Emphysema: What It Is and How It Differs from COPD
Emphysema is the pattern of COPD where the air sac walls are permanently damaged. What the tests show, what a scan line means and what care can change.
Sleep Health
When to See a Sleep Specialist: Signs That Need Assessment
Sleep problems are judged by pattern, not one bad night. The signs worth an assessment, the Epworth score, and what a sleep study reports.
Respiratory Health
COPD Exacerbation: Warning Signs and When to Get Help
Breathlessness, cough or phlegm worse than usual and lasting two days or more: how to tell a flare-up from a bad day, and when to call 998 in the UAE.
Sleep Health
Central Sleep Apnea: How It Differs From Obstructive Apnea
The drive to breathe fades, so airflow stops while the airway stays open. That difference decides what the sleep study shows and the treatment tried.
Respiratory Health
When to See a Pulmonologist: Signs That Need Assessment
A cough past three weeks, breathlessness that has changed, and a wheeze that keeps returning: when a lung assessment is due and what it measures.
Respiratory Health
Asthma Attack Symptoms: What an Attack Feels Like and What to Do
An asthma attack can settle within ten minutes or run for hours: what it feels like, what to do first, and why the review afterwards matters.
Respiratory Health
Asthma Symptoms in Adults: What to Look For
Asthma in adults usually shows up as a pattern of cough, wheeze, breathlessness and chest tightness that comes and goes. What the pattern looks like, what else can cause it, and the lung tests that confirm it.
Respiratory Health
COPD vs Asthma: How They Differ and What a Lung Test Shows
COPD and asthma both narrow the airways, so the answer rests on the history and on spirometry before and after an inhaler. A pulmonologist explains what each part adds, and what to bring to a first visit.
Respiratory Health
Wheezing: What It Sounds Like and What May Be Causing It
A whistling note from your chest is worth understanding before you try to treat it. This page covers the likely causes, how wheeze differs from stridor and snoring, and the tests that name the cause.
Respiratory Health
Chronic Cough: When Should You See a Specialist?
A cough that persists or keeps returning can have several causes. Here is when a structured respiratory assessment may help.
Sleep Health
Is Snoring Normal? When Snoring May Need Medical Attention
Occasional snoring is common, but loud or persistent snoring can sometimes point to a sleep-related breathing problem.
Tests & Diagnostics
What Does a Spirometry Test Measure?
Spirometry measures airflow and is commonly used in the assessment of asthma, COPD and other breathing conditions.
Sleep Health
What Is Sleep Apnea and How Do You Know If You Have It?
Sleep apnea can interrupt breathing again and again during sleep. Learn the common signs and why a sleep assessment may be recommended.
Respiratory Health
Why Am I Short of Breath? Causes and When to See a Pulmonologist
Shortness of breath has many possible causes. The pattern of your symptoms helps decide when specialist assessment makes sense.