Breathing lessons A doctor's guide to lung health

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

"Breathing is an unapplauded marathon," writes pulmonologist Han in her debut, an easy-to-understand and informative guide to lung health. She breaks down pulmonary health into six sections: "How the Lungs Work" covers lung structure and the muscles that move to make breathing happen, while "The Battle Within" is a primer on pollution, infections, and diseases, including viral, bacterial, and fungal infections (plus a quick look at coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2). "Protecting Your Lungs for Life" shares steps readers can use to take better care of their lungs (breastfeeding helps prevent childhood asthma, for example, while adults can make exercise a regular habit, as it likely has benefits for lung health), and "How Pulmonologists Think" prepares readers for medical interviews, imaging, and pulmonary testing. (even though medical technology is advancing, Han notes, listening to a patient report their medical history is still a crucial part of a diagnosis.) "A Short Guide to Lung Disease" spotlights asthma, cystic fibrosis, and respiratory failure, outlining their corresponding clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment, and "The Fifth Vital Sign" makes a case that lung function should be measured at a frequency on par with blood pressure. Han's heartfelt plea to "preserve human lung health" hits all the marks. Comprehensive and accessible, this arrives right on time. (Nov.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

In her first book, Han (pulmonary and critical care, Univ. of Michigan) combines memoir with how-to guide in order to explain the importance of our lungs, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how she was drawn to diagnosing and treating lung disease. Han outlines how these diseases are poorly understood and often overlooked as well as the ongoing impact on our lungs from various environmental contaminants. She is especially adept at detailing the effects of environmental racism, explaining chronic illnesses (e.g., asthma, cystic fibrosis, COPD), and their particular impacts on Black communities. Han stresses the danger of indoor air pollution (such as the mold or mildew that can reside in a home or office) and outdoor pollution, like asbestos, dust, vapor, and gas that can linger in an area long after a natural disaster. She concludes by showing the connection between lung health, air pollution, and climate change and offering steps for advocating for oneself. She also offers advice on what to expect when first visiting a pulmonologist. VERDICT A practical guide to an essential organ; will especially interest readers of James Nestor's Breath.--Margaret Henderson, Ramona, CA

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

A concise and accessible look into one of the body's most "incredible" organs. The heart, brain, and sex organs have long dominated popular health writing, but Covid-19 has raised the profile of the lungs; readers seeking a painless introduction will find it here. Pulmonologist Han, professor of medicine at the University of Michigan and national spokesperson for the American Lung Association, clearly has an abiding love for her favorite organ, which "provides our bodies with life-giving oxygen, rids us of excess carbon dioxide, and regulates the blood's acid-base balance while also moving air past our vocal cords and nose, allowing us to speak, sing, and even smell." Unfortunately, the lungs suffer from neglect in government and the health care industry; compared with heart disease, research on lung disease is trivial. We're familiar with the blood pressure cuff, but few family doctors have a spirometer, a simple device that measures lung function. Han's expert summary of lung diseases includes the familiar infections as well as asthma, emphysema, and lung cancer, still the leading malignancy. "Roughly 10 percent of long-term smokers will eventually be diagnosed with lung cancer," she notes. Children of mothers who smoke during pregnancy suffer more respiratory illnesses, and if raised in a house where the parents smoke, they're at higher risk of asthma as well as lung and ear infections. Cigarette smoking is unquestionably deleterious, but, as a physician, the author cannot generate enthusiasm for any method of quitting; she emphasizes that e-cigarettes, widely promoted as a safer alternative, are no such thing. The author also discusses why vaccines work superbly against infections and how diet and exercise prevent heart disease. However, there is only feeble evidence for any positive action to strengthen lungs. Mostly, it's a matter of avoiding things. Not smoking is achievable, but avoiding air pollution is difficult; the same goes for secondhand smoke and innumerable chemicals, vapors, dusts, and molds. A fine primer to an essential organ. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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