Thehealthylung

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

Some traditions travel.

Onam travelled 2,000 kilometres. And found a home far beyond Kerala.

What began as quintessentially Malayali is now celebrated by people from so many cultures, backgrounds and corners of the world.

And honestly, that is one of the things I love about Onam.

Today, our hospital was transformed with pookalams, traditional attire, an Onam chantha, music, dance, drama and a generous dose of Mahabali magic.

But the best part?

People who had never celebrated Onam before were celebrating it with the same enthusiasm as those who grew up with it.

Doctors. Nurses. Administrators. Support teams. Colleagues from every corner of the hospital.

Different cultures. Different stories. One celebration.

That, to me, is what inclusivity looks like when it is lived, not just talked about.

And yes…

I was naturally very concerned about one extremely important question:

Who was guarding the payasam? 😜

Happy Onam from all of us at NMC! 🌼

13/08/2026

𝗦𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝗜'𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁.😅

I’m not entirely sure how that happened.

Yesterday, I graduated from the NMC Management Development Programme and was genuinely surprised and honoured to receive the 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝘼𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 for my management thesis.

Many years ago, I was a 𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝘿𝙉𝘽 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚. And now, in my mid-40s, I’ve somehow found myself graduating from another management programme with an award.

Apparently, I have a bit of a history with this student business! 😜

But this time, the learning was very different.

As a Pulmonologist, I’m used to looking at healthcare through a clinical lens. This programme pushed me to step outside that familiar world and understand leadership, management, operations and the many things that happen behind the scenes to make healthcare work.

Our Business Improvement Project focused on something very simple but very important: reducing OPD waiting times and improving patient flow.

Because when a patient comes to a hospital, they come to get care. They don’t come to wait.

And that made the learning feel real.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who guided, supported and challenged me along the way, and especially to my wonderful project team for the teamwork, laughter, discussions, deadlines and all those moments when “this shouldn’t take too long” turned out to be famous last words!

The award was lovely.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧.

And perhaps that’s the nicest thing about continuing to learn: 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜.

𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚.
𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝘼𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.
𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖 𝙋𝙪𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙨𝙩.
𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.

I think I’ll keep it that way. ❤️

20/07/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗴𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹.

“Doctor… why does this test involve carbon monoxide?” 😳

That was the genuine question I got from a very serious-looking gentleman when I explained his DLCO test.

And honestly, I understood his concern.

Because outside the medical world, those words sound alarming.

Carbon monoxide? In a lung test? Are we sure this is a good idea? 😅

The surprising answer is yes.

DLCO (Diffusing Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide) is one of the cleverest tests we have in respiratory medicine.

It uses a tiny, carefully measured amount of carbon monoxide mixed with another harmless tracer gas, such as helium or methane, to understand how efficiently gases move from the lungs into the bloodstream.

No, it is not about testing whether you can “handle” carbon monoxide.

It is about understanding the incredible exchange system happening inside your lungs every second you breathe.

That one measurement can give us valuable clues about how well the lung tissue, air sacs, and blood vessels are working together.

For a test that takes only a few minutes, the amount of information it provides is fascinating.

Patients see numbers on a report.

Pulmonologists see a story.

A story about oxygen, alveoli, blood flow, and the millions of tiny conversations happening inside your lungs every minute.

And yes, every time I explain that the test uses carbon monoxide, I pause just long enough to enjoy the patient’s expression.

Pulmonologists are easily entertained.

Now I’m curious.

If you had to rename DLCO so patients would stop looking horrified, what would you call it?

Let me know 👇


Specialist Pulmonologist |
Medical Division Head
Founder, ™ | ™

07/07/2026

🫁 “Doctor, why so many tests? Just check my lungs.”

A patient asked me this last week, a little frustrated. I smiled and asked back. “Which part of your lungs would you like me to check?”

He looked confused. So let me explain it the way I explained it to him.

Many of us believe that ONE test can tell the doctor everything about our lungs. But the truth is, your lungs don’t tell their story in a single sentence . They write a whole paragraph. And each test reads a different part of it.

Let me break it down simply:

🌬️ Spirometry — This is usually the first test. You blow into a machine, and it tells us how much air you can breathe out, and how fast. Quick and useful, but it’s only the opening line.

🩸 DLCO — This test doesn’t care how fast you blow. It checks something more important — whether the oxygen you breathe in is actually reaching your blood.

📦 Body Box (Plethysmography) — Here, you sit inside a glass booth. This test finds air that gets trapped inside your lungs — something spirometry cannot detect at all.

👃 FeNO Test — Just one breath, and it tells us if there is inflammation in your airways, and whether your current inhaler is actually the right one for you.

🎈 Oscillometry — The gentlest test of all. No forceful breathing needed, which is why even children and elderly patients can do it comfortably.

🚶 6-Minute Walk Test — This one refuses to trust you sitting still. It checks your breathing and oxygen levels while you are walking.. because some problems only reveal themselves when you’re moving.

None of these tests repeat each other. Each one asks a question that the others simply cannot.

So the next time your doctor recommends “just one more test”… please know we are not trying to trouble you. We are simply making sure we read your entire story, not just the first line.

Your lungs deserve to be read in full — not just skimmed. 💙

If this helped you understand your own lung tests better, do share it with a family member or friend who may need this information. And if you’ve ever wondered why your doctor asked for multiple tests, tell me in the comments — I’d love to answer! 👇

| Pulmonologist | Medical Division Head | Founder ™ & ™

05/07/2026

𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙏𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙃𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙮 😂

Humans have somehow turned the one thing we do 20,000 times a day without thinking… into a full-blown hobby.

Some of it works.

Some of it really doesn’t.

😷 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜?
Millions tape their lips shut every night hoping to “force” nasal breathing.

It certainly looks very biohacker.

But a 2025 systematic review found the evidence is surprisingly limited, and it may even be risky if you have nasal blockage or undiagnosed sleep apnoea.

In other words…

You’ve turned bedtime into a hostage negotiation with your own face. 😅

🎶 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜?
Now here’s the twist.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute found humming increases nasal nitric oxide by around 15-fold, enhancing ventilation of the paranasal sinuses.

So…

The person humming quietly in the lift?

Turns out your annoying coworker may have been practising respiratory physiology all along.

📦 𝘽𝙤𝙭 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜?
Absolutely worth knowing. Slow, structured breathing has good evidence for reducing stress and improving autonomic regulation.

📲 And my personal favourite…

Paying a monthly subscription so your phone can congratulate you for doing something your brainstem has managed flawlessly since birth.

The takeaway?

We often confuse effortful with effective.

Physiology has never cared about marketing.

Sometimes looking slightly ridiculous is more evidence-based than looking cutting-edge.

As a pulmonologist, I’d choose evidence over trends every single time.

👇 What’s the strangest breathing hack you’ve ever tried?

| Pulmonologist | Medical Division Head | Founder ™ & ™

01/07/2026

*Every mask I wear is different. Every glove, every gown, every shift*

What never changes is why I wear them.

Doctors change their PPE for every single patient. We do not change how much we care.

Today is *Doctors' Day* in India, and if I'm honest, most of us are terrible at receiving thanks. We're much better at giving reassurance than accepting it. So let me say this instead, for every doctor reading this exhausted, and every patient who ever trusted one of us with their fear.

Behind every calm voice in a hospital room is someone who skipped a meal, missed a birthday, or hasn't slept properly in a while. We don't say it out loud because our job is to make you feel safe, not worried about us too.

So here's the ask, and it costs nothing.
The next time your doctor smiles at you through some very unglamorous protective gear, know that smile survived a long day to reach you.

That's not just a uniform.
That's a promise, worn fresh, every single time.

To every doctor holding that promise together today, thank you. Rest when you can. You've earned it.

*Happy Doctors' Day*.

Pulmonologist | Medical Division Head | Founder ™ and ™

31/05/2026

31/05/2026

8,000,000 lives. Every single year. Gone because of to***co. 🚨

Can I be real with you for a second? 🫁

Every week in my clinic, I meet patients who knew they should quit.
They just kept putting it off. One more month.
One more year.
Until their body made the decision for them.

So on this *World No To***co Day*, here is what I need you to know:

✅ 20 minutes after quitting: heart rate drops
✅ 12 hours after quitting: carbon monoxide clears your blood
✅ 2 weeks after quitting: your lungs start clearing
✅ 1 year after quitting: heart disease risk is CUT IN HALF

Your lungs are not replaceable.
Your habits are.

Do not wait for a diagnosis to make the decision.
Make it today.

👇 Save this.
Share this. Someone in your life needs to see it right now.

***coDay ™ ™

31/05/2026

Working as a pulmonologist in two countries, I have spent two decades looking at lungs damaged by to***co.

I have met patients who thought, “It won’t happen to me.”
Many of them wished they had stopped sooner.

The to***co industry sells an image. What it doesn’t show are the breathless walks, the oxygen cylinders, the sleepless nights, the cancer diagnoses, and the families left wishing for more time.

This World No To***co Day, let us unmask the appeal.

If you smoke, today is a good day to quit.
If you have quit, stay the course.
If you are a parent, talk to your children about va**ng and ni****ne addiction.
If you are a healthcare professional, keep having the difficult conversations.

Every sh**ha, v**e or cigarette not smoked is a victory.
Every attempt to quit matters.
Every breath matters.

Choose healthy lungs. Choose life.

Dr. Padmavathy Ramadoss
Specialist Pulmonologist & Sleep Physician
NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Nahda, Dubai

***coDay ***coExposed