Hiroshima Allergy & Respiratory Clinic

Head director and Chairperson

Soichiro Hozawa

soichiro_hozawa
I'd like to provide "comfortable breathing" to adult asthma patients

Asthma is considered to be an "illness for children", but there are many adults who still have residual problems, and even some who develop asthma after becoming adults. To feel stressed with breathing is a factor that significantly reduces the quality of life. I want to spread the right knowledge about asthma and provide appropriate medical care to people who are quietly struggling with the illness.

Year of Birth
1955
Birthplace
Hiroshima
Name
Hiroshima Allergy & Respiratory Clinic
Headquarters
14-7 Hatchobori Naka-ku Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima-ken Hatchobori Miyata Building 4F
Founded
2003
Type of business
Medical
url
http://www.harg.info/
Hiroshima Allergy & Respiratory Clinic is a clinic which was opened in Hiroshima City and Higashi-ku in 2003, and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases such as asthma.
We conduct clinical practice for sleep apnea syndrome which can cause COPD, allergic rhinitis, hay fever and asthma, and smoking cessation consultation.
I started an asthma clinic, a rare clinic specialty, because when I was working as a hospital as a physician, I felt a sense of crisis in the poor continuation rate and low medicine adherence rate of outpatient asthma patients.
The treatment of asthma has changed dramatically since around 1990, and the method of inhaling steroids that suppress inflammation of the respiratory tract has become mainstream, replacing the method of using medicines that broaden the bronchial tube.

This has reduced the number of seizures, and the number of people who pass away has reduced significantly. However, despite there still being inflammation of the respiratory tract, there are many cases where people stop treatment, and the truth is that there are very few people who meet the criteria of "good control" required by the asthma treatment and management guideline (JGL) in Japan.
There are also many cases where those who did not feel symptoms or those who had only slight symptoms get affected by dust, pets, tobacco smoke, commercial drugs such as pain relievers, antipyretics, poultice etc., PM2.5, allergens and asthma exacerbating substances, and relapse.
I felt the necessity to provide medical treatment to such people with clear diagnosis by accurate examination, firmly suppressing inflammation and carefully following up until medication is no longer needed.

Asthmatic patients have a younger average age than general internal medicine patients, and it is one of the reasons that many socially active people such as business people stop coming to the hospital. Our clinic uses a scheduling system in order to allow busy patients to be able to come and to reduce the waiting times, and to secure the time to listen carefully to the patients.
In 2014, we set up a branch office in the office town of Hiroshima-shi and Naka-ku, and established a system that makes it easy for business persons to commute.
One of the strengths of our clinic in regards to the contents of medical treatment, is the clear diagnosis brought about from accurate examinations using the latest equipment. In addition to respiratory function tests (spirometry) such as roentgen and lung capacity, we use impulse oscillometry (IOS), exhaled nitric oxide (NO) measuring instruments, etc. to accurately grasp their conditions. Thus there are many patients who are bothered by a cough but were not recommended examinations at other hospitals, who receive diagnosis for asthma for the first time at our clinic.

Asthma is a tough illness in that we must recommended continuous treatment to patients who are only slightly feeling symptoms, so it is an absolute necessity that they are fully satisfied with our service. Thoroughly explaining the diagnosis result and treatment plans is an integral job of not only asthma doctors but all doctors, but is also something that our clinic especially emphasizes.

As a specialist, it is also important to catch up with the latest research on asthma. In addition to checking new research papers, we participate at the trial stage when drugs are developed, and we strive to grasp what kind of medicines are being developed before putting it into practical use. In addition, when conducting new treatments at our clinic, we clinically summarize clinical data at academic conferences, and furthermore, we work to transmit this data to the world as an English dissertation. We also conduct lectures and seminars for doctors about 100 times a year throughout Japan and we are making efforts to provide and share information to doctors.

I would like to continue to contribute to the development of medicine concerning asthma, as well as to support the quality of life of the patients who are feeling stress with breathing, with quality treatment that can only be done because we are an asthma specialist clinic.

soichiro_hozawa
soichiro_hozawa

*Information accurate as of time of publication.

Hiroshima Allergy & Respiratory Clinic

Head director and Chairperson
Soichiro Hozawa