Janet S. Rimmer is a pulmonologist based at St Vincent's Hospital in Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.
In her day-to-day work, she looks after people with breathing and airway problems, especially where allergies and long-term inflammation play a part. This can include asthma, allergic rhinitis, and grass allergy. At times, symptoms can also sit alongside sinus issues, like sinusitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and loss of smell (anosmia).
Many patients she sees have nasal polyps and ongoing sinus irritation. Conditions such as chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) can be tricky, because they often affect the nose, sinuses, and breathing at the same time. She works with patients to sort out what’s driving the symptoms and what options may help most.
Janet also treats a range of eosinophil-related lung conditions. This may include eosinophilic asthma, eosinophilic pneumonia, and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. She may also be involved in care for people with hypereosinophilic syndrome and simple pulmonary eosinophilia, where the blood and lungs can show higher levels of eosinophils.
Some referrals also involve rarer causes of airway and related issues. For example, hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and telangiectasia can come up in respiratory care, along with questions about infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV) in relevant cases. There are also situations where evaluation is needed for problems outside the lungs but still affecting breathing or overall health, such as lacrimal gland tumour in selected pathways.
Diagnostic tests matter in this kind of work, and that’s why procedures like endoscopy and tissue biopsy are often part of the process. Endoscopy can help doctors get a better view and guide next steps, while tissue biopsy may be used when doctors need more clear answers about what’s happening in the airway or related tissues.
At times, some people referred with breathlessness also deal with hyperventilation. In those cases, getting the breathing pattern checked and making sure other causes are not missed is important, so care can be planned in a steady, practical way.
Janet’s focus is on careful assessment and ongoing management for patients with complex, long-term conditions. The goal is to understand the pattern of symptoms, work out what’s most likely causing them, and support patients through the ups and downs that can come with chronic lung and airway problems.
