Factsheets

Read our factsheets about a variety of lung conditions and topics linked to lung health such as quitting smoking, exercise, and vaccination.

air-pollution-risks-web

Air quality and lung health – the risks – infographic

Air travel when you have a lung condition
Allergic rhinitis or ‘hayfever’

Allergic rhinitis or ‘hayfever’

Allergic rhinitis is a disease in which the mucous membranes of the nose are swollen and irritated. This is caused by an allergy to grass or tree pollen, house dust…

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a genetic condition which increases the risk of lung and/or liver diseases. People with AAT deficiency have low levels of AAT protein in their blood…

Asthma and pregnancy

Asthma and pregnancy

Asthma is one of the most common conditions that co-exists with pregnancy. As well as asthma affecting your pregnancy, your pregnancy can also have an impact on your asthma symptoms.…

Asthma in elite athletes

Asthma in elite athletes

This factsheet attempts to explain the increased occurrence of asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness among elite athletes, and give information about recommended treatment and testing regulations

Bird flu

Bird flu

Bird flu (avian influenza) has been an important topic in the news since it was first seen in humans. Although there have been lots of reports about the illness, do…

Bronchiectasis
Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is a procedure that allows a doctor to examine your windpipe, airways and lungs. This factsheet explains what the procedure involves, why it is used and two case studies…

ChILD – Children’s interstitial lung disease
Chronic cough

Chronic cough

Everyone experiences cough at some point in their lives. Healthy people will cough for protection, in order to clear the airways of substances that irritate the lungs such as smoke…

View available translations
Climate change and your lungs

Climate change and your lungs

Climate change is the long-term change to global temperature and weather systems. It has been sped up by human behaviour. We burn fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil,…

View available translations
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold standard treatment for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea. This factsheet demonstrates how to safely use CPAP at home and get the most out…

COVID-19-Easy-read-factsheet_website

COVID-19 – Easy read factsheet

Healthy-Lungs-during-COVID-19

COVID-19 – Healthy Lungs during COVID-19 – Infographic

COVID-19 – Information for family/friends of those admitted to hospital with COVID-19

COVID-19 – Information for family/friends of those admitted to hospital with COVID-19

COVID-19 can cause minor to serious illness. Your family member/friend has been admitted to hospital with COVID-19 so that we can monitor their breathing. Their breathing may need to be…

View available translations
COVID-19 – Information for patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19

COVID-19 – Information for patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19

COVID-19 can cause minor to serious illness. You have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19 so that we can monitor your breathing. Your breathing may need to be supported with…

View available translations
COVID-19 – Managing breathlessness at home during the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 Factsheet
Data sharing in healthcare
Diagnosing adult asthma: understanding the professional guideline

Diagnosing adult asthma: understanding the professional guideline

Diagnosing and treating chronic cough in adults – Understanding the professional guidelines
Bronchiectasis lay guidelines

Diagnosing and treating non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in children and young people – Understanding the professional guidelines

Diagnosing childhood asthma: understanding the professional guidelines

Diagnosing childhood asthma: understanding the professional guidelines

This document explains the recommendations in the European Respiratory Society (ERS) clinical guidelines for the diagnosis of asthma in children between the ages of 5 and 16 years. It is…

Difficult-to-treat and severe asthma
dirty-air-children-en

Dirty air and your lungs

Donating your lungs; a choice for life

Donating your lungs; a choice for life

Organ donation is a sensitive issue for many people to think about and discuss but it is the difference between life and death for a person waiting for a transplant.…

E-cigarettes, heat-not-burn and smokeless tobacco products
Exercise and air quality: 10 top tips
Health-related quality of life
Indoor air pollution and the lungs
IPF – Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Living well with COPD
Lung cancer

Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a cancer of the trachea (windpipe), bronchi (airways) or lung air sacs (alveoli). This factsheet will look specifically at the two main types of lung cancer that…

View available translations
Lung cancer screening
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare lung condition that mainly affects women of childbearing age. Although it has been reported in men, it is extremely rare. It is estimated that three…

View available translations
Managing bronchiectasis in adults – Understanding the professional guidelines
Mental wellbeing and lung health
Mould, damp and the lungs
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)
Outdoor air pollution and the lungs

Outdoor air pollution and the lungs

The average adult breathes over 15 cubic metres of air every day. Although pollutants in the air are often invisible, they can have serious effects on our health, including the…

Patient and public involvement

Patient and public involvement

As a patient or relative or carer, you have a unique perspective on the impact of a medical condition on life, work and family. This experience is invaluable to healthcare…

Pneumonia

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is caused by an infection in the lungs. The infection affects the air sacs in the lungs rather than the tubes that carry air to and from the lungs.…

Preterm birth and the lungs

Preterm birth and the lungs

In recent years, the number of children surviving premature birth has grown. This means that there is potential to be an increase in the number of children and adults in…

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP)
Pulmonary arterial hypertension
Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary Embolism

A pulmonary embolism is a clot in the blood vessels in the lungs and is a medical emergency. If you think you might have a pulmonary embolism, it is important…

View available translations
Pulmonary hypertension – understanding the professional guidelines
Pulmonary rehabilitation in adults
Quality standards in lung cancer care – understanding the professional guideline

Quality standards in lung cancer care – understanding the professional guideline

This page explains the recommendations in the European Respiratory Society (ERS) clinical guidelines for the quality of care for lung cancer. It is for people with lung cancer, or their…

Quitting smoking: the benefits – Infographic
Rare and ‘orphan’ lung diseases

Rare and ‘orphan’ lung diseases

A rare disease is one that affects less than one person in every 2,000. This may sound like a very small number, but as there are 700 million people in…

Rare lung cancers

Rare lung cancers

There are several different kinds of lung cancer, often referred to as lung cancer subtypes. Some of these occur more often than others. In this factsheet we will specifically look…

View available translations
Remote care: looking after your health using digital tools
Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis

This factsheet is about sarcoidosis symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. It also explains how sarcoidosis affects people. It is for anyone affected by the condition whether you are newly diagnosed or…

Sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea

This factsheet has been written to help you understand more about sleep apnoea, what it is, what causes it, what the signs and symptoms are, how it can be diagnosed…

Smoking and the lungs

Smoking and the lungs

Smoking when you have a lung condition
Testing your lungs: lung volume tests

Testing your lungs: lung volume tests

Lung volume tests measure how big your lungs are and can help your healthcare professional to understand how well your lungs are working. To do the test, you will need…

Testing your lungs: spirometry
Testing your lungs: the gas transfer test

Testing your lungs: the gas transfer test

The main job of the lungs is to bring oxygen into your bloodstream and to remove carbon dioxide. This is called gas transfer. Certain conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary…

The normal lung

The normal lung

To help understand different lung conditions and to maintain healthy lungs, we should be familiar with how the lungs look and work.

Treating obstructive sleep apnoea using alternatives to CPAP – understanding the professional guideline
Treating sarcoidosis – understanding the professional guidelines
Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (sometimes called TB) is a disease caused by an infection commonly in the lungs, although it can occur in other parts of the body. The infection causes lots of…

View available translations
Vaccination- Protect your lungs: get vaccinated – Infographic

Vaccination- Protect your lungs: get vaccinated – Infographic

View infographic

Work-related lung conditions

Work-related lung conditions

The term, ‘work-related lung conditions’ refers to conditions that have been caused or made worse by the materials you come into contact with at work. This factsheet will look at…

Your lungs and exercise

Your lungs and exercise

Regular physical activity and exercise improves quality of life, whether you are healthy or you have a lung condition. Many people associate keeping fit with maintaining a healthy heart, losing…

View available translations
Sign up to our newsletter