Small changes have a big impact in medicine and in life | Expert Opinion

After cardiac surgery, patients have a higher risk of developing pneumonia because being in pain and stuck in bed discourages them from taking deep breaths and coughing to open up their lungs.

Over the course of a few days, the space in their lungs where gas exchange normally takes place can become congested and infected.

So, we frequently remind patients to do breathing exercises using something called an incentive spirometer — basically, a tool that fosters deeper breaths, because it gives you instant feedback on how much air you are inhaling.

When they ask how often they should be using it, we often say just use it every time the commercials are on the TV. It’s just a few minutes, and you might wonder what good could come from such a short exercise.

But when it comes to keeping breathing passages healthy — and so much else — consistency matters. The more I practice medicine, the more I see just what a significant difference can stem from seemingly small changes — such as what we choose to do when the commercials are on.

Anyone who’s saving for retirement can understand this as the value of compound interest. Even small investments upfront can accumulate into a large sum over time. In medicine, we see its value in some of our most basic preventive and public health measures. Giving people the resources to improve their health incrementally each day, such as reducing their blood pressure or blood sugar, can change the trajectory of their lives.

I have also seen the power of small changes as a medical resident. Even when I have just a little more free time or money — both scarce commodities at my stage in training — I notice significant downstream impacts in my life. Though the amount may not seem like much to somebody in a higher pay bracket, I am significantly happier and even healthier for it.

I am able to make better choices, such as going to see my dentist for a too-long delayed checkup and buy glasses with an updated prescription. I can choose healthier items on the menu, even if they’re more expensive. I can see family and friends more often. The burden of paying off medical school loans feels a little lighter.

We should not underestimate the power of incremental change in everything that we do.

Though 1% more time or 1% more income is easy to dismiss as a negligible change, it is not. Though slightly better working conditions may not seem worth the trouble, they are. If we do not make these little changes now, over the years the lost opportunities accumulate into mountains.

When we have a chance to achieve a little more — for ourselves or those we care about — we should always strive to make the most of even the smallest opportunities.

Jason Han is a cardiac surgery resident at a Philadelphia hospital and contributor to The Inquirer’s Health section.