Breathing is mandatory for life to exist. In our community, breathing often doesn’t come easily, and most often it is due to outside forces, such as air pollution. According to the NIH, Black people have the highest rates of asthma of any U.S. racial or ethnic group. We are also more likely to experience serious complications from the condition. This means more emergency room visits and more deaths. Things are getting better; rates of asthma and asthma-related issues have declined since 2010. This chronic condition can be managed with access to healthcare. I reached out to pulmonologist LeRoy Graham to speak about this challenge.
I asked Graham how he came to work with lungs. He mentioned starting in pediatrics and being drawn to pulmonology due to the large number of asthma patients. Asthma is a chronic condition, and I asked Graham if this meant that patients need constant ongoing care or if they could meet with a practitioner a few times and then carry on with their lives.
He shares that asthma is a disease that will need the support of a primary care physician, an allergist, and care from other specialists. He says that patients with chronic diseases need a medical home where professionals know their history, triggers, and can assist in the development of an action plan for daily care, control, and emergencies.
Although asthma is sometimes thought of as a children’s disease, adults are also diagnosed with the condition. I asked Graham what symptoms adults should pay attention to when they experience breathing challenges. He spoke about tightening of the chest, difficulty breathing after simple activities, and the need to reach out to a professional. I asked if these challenges always meant asthma. He spoke about other respiratory challenges, such as the common cold or pneumonia. He also spoke about triggers such as dust, dander, smoke, odors, and even weather changes that could impact our breathing.
Graham continued to emphasize that we must treat our medical care and treatment in the same manner that we purchase any other product. Look for primary care physicians by reaching out to local hospitals. Graham has created a network and platform to assist with finding a healthcare home so that our history and care are in one place, accessible to the professionals who treat us.