Respiratory conditions

Asthma is a long-term condition that affects your lungs and causes swelling and narrowing of the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. It affects about 5 million people in the UK. Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

Information about Asthma

Asthma - symptoms, causes, diagnosing, treating and living with asthma - NHS Inform

Asthma Health Advice - Asthma + Lung UK

Asthma - Chest Heart Stroke Scotland (CHSS)

I have Asthma - My Lungs, My Life

Leaflets about living with, and managing, asthma - from Asthma + Lung UK

Using your inhalers

How to use your inhaler - videos from Asthma + Lung UK

A practical guide to inhalers (asthma) - My Lungs, My Life 

Asthma action plans

Your Asthma Action Plan - Asthma + Lung UK

Peak Flow - Asthma + Lung UK - checking your peak flow every day can help you keep an eye on your asthma and could cut your risk of an asthma attack

Peak Flow Diary - Asthma + Lung UK

Bronchiectasis is a long-term lung condition, in which sections of the airways become damaged and inflamed, causing them to become wider than normal and mucus to build up. Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

Information about Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis - symptoms, causes, diagnosing, treating and complication - NHS Inform

What bronchiectasis is, what the symptoms are, and how it is diagnosed and treated - Asthma + Lung UK

Bronchiectasis - Chest Heart Stroke Scotland (CHSS)

Living with Bronchiectasis - a leaflet from CHSS *

* Recommended resource

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, affects over 100,000 people in Scotland.  It is a group of lung conditions that make it difficult to empty air out of the lungs because the airways have become narrowed and includes:

- emphysema – damage to the air sacs in the lungs
- chronic bronchitis – long-term inflammation of the airways

Being diagnosed with COPD can be a confusing and anxious time, but a lot of information, advice and help is available. Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

About COPD

About COPD - Asthma + Lung UK

COPD - causes, diagnosis, treatment and more - Chest Heart Stroke Scotland (CHSS)

About COPD - NHS Inform

COPD FAQs - My Lungs, My Life

What is COPD?

What is COPD? - Asthma + Lung UK

What is COPD? - My Lungs, My Life

Causes of COPD

Causes of COPD - NHS Inform

Symptoms of COPD

Symptoms of COPD - My Lungs, My Life

Symptoms of COPD - NHS Inform

Diagnosis of COPD

How is COPD diagnosed? - Asthma + Lung UK

Making a diagnosis - My Lungs, My Life

Diagnosing COPD - NHS Inform

Treatment of COPD

What are the treatments for COPD - Asthma + Lung UK

Treating COPD - NHS Inform

COPD Patient Passport - your best are checklist from Asthma + Lung UK

COPD self-management plans

Your COPD self-management plan - Asthma + Lung UK

Traffic Lights for COPD - video from NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde

Traffic lights for COPD - a leaflet from Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland *

Living well with COPD

Living with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and other respiratory conditions can be challenging but you can make small changes to your daily routine and mindset which will have a big impact on your quality of life.

Living well with COPD - NHS Inform

Hints and tips for living well with COPD - NHS Inform

Myths about COPD - NHS Inform

Living with COPD - a leaflet from Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) *

Managing your energy levels - a leaflet from the Breathlessness Intervention Service * - printable version

* Recommended resource

Long Covid is the term used to describe signs and symptoms that last for longer than 4 weeks after getting Covid-19, it is sometimes called “post-COVID syndrome”.  There are a wide range of symptoms associated with Long Covid, including respiratory symptoms (cough, breathlessness) but also symptoms such as chest pain or palpitations, fatigue, headaches, sleep problems, brain "fog", mental health problems and more.  Different people experience different symptoms. Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

Information about long covid

Long term effects of Covid-19 - NHS Inform

About long Covid - Asthma + Lung UK

Long Covid - advice and information - Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS)

Self Management eLearning from MySelf-Management - an online course, originally developed with funding from the Scottish Government’s Wellbeing Fund. This engaging and informative course was designed for people who are living with any long-term condition.  The course is currently available free of charge to anyone living with a long-term condition in the Highland local authority area.

MySelf-Management Long Covid Facebook support group - This group is a supportive and safe space for anyone experiencing Long Covid to connect and share useful information.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK.  Around 8 in 10 cases develop in people over the age of 60 years, usually in smokers. If lung cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, there is a chance of a cure. Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

Information about lung cancer

Lung cancer - symptoms, causes, diagnosing, treating, living with and preventing - NHS Inform

Lung Cancer - Asthma + Lung UK

Lung cancer - what it is, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, stages and treatment - Macmillan Cancer Support

Lung cancer - what it is, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis - Patient Info

Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung condition where there is scarring and thickening of lung tissue which reduces the efficiency of your breathing.  In Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) the cause of the pulmonary fibrosis is not known.  Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most common type of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

Information about pulmonary fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other ILDs

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - about IPF, symptoms, causes, diagnosing and treating IPF - NHS Inform

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - Asthma + Lung UK

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - what it is, diagnosing, managing and treating IPF - Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS)

Living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - a leaflet from Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland*

What is pulmonary fibrosis - Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis 

What is pulmonary fibrosis - Asthma + Lung UK

Asbestosis

Asbestosis - Asthma + Lung UK 

Asbestos Action - a Scottish charity that has been set up to assist sufferers of asbestos related diseases in Scotland

* Recommended resource

Pulmonary hypertension is  high blood pressure in the blood vessels that carry blood to your lungs. Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

Information about pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension - symptoms, causes, diagnosing, treating and complications - NHS Inform

Pulmonary hypertension - Asthma + Lung UK

Sleep apnoea, properly called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), is a condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing.  Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

Information about sleep apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea - diagnosis and treatment - NHS Inform

Obstructive sleep apnoea - Asthma + Lung UK

There are many other less common respiratory conditions, some long term conditions and others which are short term.  You will find information about some of them through the links below.  Each of the links below opens in a new window/tab.

Information about other respiratory conditions

Lung conditions - Asthma + Lung UK has information about a wide range of respiratory conditions - from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome to Tuberculosis, with many others in between.

Lungs and airways - NHS Inform also has information about a number of less common respiratory conditions

Here are just a few of the respiratory conditions you can find information about:

Common cold (upper respiratory tract infections) - information is available from:  NHS Inform,  Patient Info

Cystic fibrosis - information is available from: NHS Inform,   Asthma+Lung UK,  Cystic Fibrosis Trust,  Patient Info

Occupational lung disease - information is available from: Taskforce for Lung Health,  Asthma+Lung UK

Pneumonia - information is available from: NHS Inform,  Asthma+Lung UK

Pulmonary embolism - information is available from Asthma+Lung UK,  Patient Info

Sarcoidosis - information is available from Asthma+Lung UK,  Patient Info,   Sarcoidosis UK

Tuberculosis (TB) - information is available from: NHS Inform,  Asthma+Lung UK, The Truth About TB