Ben J. Marais is a pulmonologist based in Westmead, NSW. He works from the address: Locked Bag 4001, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
In day-to-day practice, Ben looks after people with breathing and lung problems. That can include long-term issues like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where airways stay inflamed and it can feel hard to get breath. He also treats people when the lungs are affected by infections, like pneumonia, atypical pneumonia, flu, and COVID-19.
There are times when the problem is more than just the lungs. In many cases, breathing symptoms come with other illnesses. Ben has experience with conditions where serious infections can spread, including tuberculosis, tuberculous meningitis, and disseminated tuberculosis. He also manages people with pleural effusion, when fluid builds up around the lungs, and with a collapsed lung (pneumothorax), which can cause sudden breathlessness.
Ben’s work includes looking after younger patients too. Some infections he deals with affect children, such as pneumonia in kids, urinary tract infections in children, and issues linked to malnutrition. He also sees complex cases where lung health is just one part of a bigger picture, for example cystic fibrosis, which can bring repeated chest infections and ongoing breathing problems.
At times, his patients may have rarer lung and infection-related conditions. These can include Mycobacterium avium complex infections and scrofula, plus problems seen with HIV/AIDS that can affect the lungs. He also helps when there are ongoing or unusual respiratory symptoms, like partial seizures or cerebral hypoxia that happen alongside lung issues in more complicated presentations.
When someone comes in with a cough, breathlessness, or worsening illness, Ben takes a practical approach. He focuses on finding the cause, making sense of test results, and putting together a treatment plan that fits the person’s situation. The goal is to help people breathe easier and recover, while keeping safety in mind, especially for those with more serious infections.
Education details and work history aren’t listed here, and there’s no specific research or clinical trial information provided. Still, Ben’s practice covers a wide range of respiratory conditions, from common infections to more complex diseases that need careful attention.