Lung Care

Life is better when you can breathe easily. That’s why St. Bernards Healthcare provides expert care for your respiratory system—the lungs, windpipe and other parts of your body that help you get the oxygen you need. Trust us to improve your pulmonary health, so you can enjoy more of what life has to offer.

Tests & Diagnosis

To diagnose a lung disease, your doctor may order:

• Pulmonary function tests, which measure how much air you breathe in and out, check your lung’s sensitivity to certain triggers and assess inflammation in your airways
• Bronchoscopy, which uses a tube with a light and camera (and sometimes ultrasound or computed tomography imaging) to examine the airways or guide a doctor during treatment
• Imaging scan of your lungs or sinuses
• Lung cancer screening for current and former smokers
• Blood tests to check your immune system, which can contribute to asthma by overreacting to substances in the air
• Alpha-1 antitrypsin blood test for genetic changes that increase your risk of a lung illness
• Thoracentesis, which uses a thin needle to take a sample of fluid from your lungs
• Sleep study to check for sleep apnea

Lung Treatments

Pulmonologists (lung doctors) at St. Bernards Clopton Clinic in Jonesboro can help you manage many lung conditions, especially asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We’ll work together to find the most effective treatment for you.

Treating Asthma

Often, doctors start by prescribing asthma pills or inhalers that relax your airway muscles to make breathing easier.

But if you have moderate or severe asthma, you may benefit from newer drugs called biologics. These injections or infusions help prevent asthma flareups.

If medications don’t offer enough relief, ask your doctor about bronchial thermoplasty. This procedure uses gentle heat to shrink muscle tissue in adults’ airways, opening them up to reduce severe asthma attacks. We’ll help you determine if your insurance plan covers this treatment.

Treating COPD

If you smoke, kicking the habit is one of the best ways you can ease COPD symptoms. Not only will you find breathing easier, but your medications will also work better. For support, call 1.800.QUIT.NOW or dial 870.207.8177 to ask about St. Bernards Cancer Center’s smoking cessation program. It’s open to people without cancer.

Pulmonary rehabilitation can also help you take control of your health. This 12-week program guides you and a few of your peers through exercises to strengthen your lungs. We’ll monitor your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation to make sure they stay at safe levels.

Outreach Clinics in Wynne & Piggott

Don’t live in the Jonesboro area? Call St. Bernards Clopton Clinic to make your appointment at CrossRidge Community Hospital or Piggott Community Hospital instead. We’ll bring care closer to you for your convenience.

Respiratory Care in the Hospital

If you visit St. Bernards Medical Center, you may receive care from respiratory therapists—specialists in breathing problems. They see patients in the emergency room, intensive care unit, nursery and pediatric unit (children’s floor). These experts can:

• Clear or open blocked airways in an emergency
• Manage ventilators (machines that breathe for you)
• Give you a nebulizer (a device that turns medication into a mist you inhale)
• Provide extra oxygen and teach you how to use an oxygen tank

Help treat bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses