Emphysema Center - Antioch, CA
Antioch Pulmonologist Doctors for EmphysemaType of Physician: Pulmonologist What is a Pulmonologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on diseases of the lungs and airways. The pulmonologist diagnoses and treats pneumonia, cancer, asthma, occupational diseases, sleep disorders, emphysema, and other complex disorders of the lungs. Pulmonologists evaluate lung function, examine the bronchial airways, and prescribe and monitor mechanical ventilation. Many pulmonary disease experts are also expert in critical care. Specialty: Pulmonary Disease Common Name: Lung Doctor Pulmonologist Doctors in Antioch * Springhill Medical Group  Ravinder Gupta MD  Springhill Medical Group  Jorge A Salazar-Suero MD  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Muir Pulmonary & Critical Care  Muir Pulmonary & Critical Care  Palo Alto Medical Foundation Dublin Center  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Laurence Athos MD  Ratnasothy Rajah MD  T Craig Williams MD  David C Budson MD  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Sammy T Hung MD  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Jagjeet S Kalra MD  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Mowry Medical Group Inc  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Alliance Medical Group Inc  Revels Cayton MD  Richard Nusser MD Inc  Samir N Vora MD  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  William S Lowery MD  Jerrold A Kram MD  East Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  East Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  East Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  East Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  Mehernosh E Dah MD  Sierra Valley Lung & Sleep  Pulmonary Disease Specialists  Pulmonary Disease Specialists  Pacific Sleep Disorders Center  Queen of the Valley Medical Center Radiation Oncology  MedClinic Medical Group Timberlake  Kenneth D Chan MD  Crawford Chung MD  Fred B Hom MD  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  San Francisco General Hospital  Woodland Healthcare Clinic Family Practice D & E  CHW Medical Foundation  Mercy Medical Group Allergy Dermatology & Pulmonology  UC Davis Division of Pulmonary Internal Medicine  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  Frank M Delen MD  Ronald B Elkin MD  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  Huan & Hla MD  Gerald B Levine MD  Stanford Hospital Sleep Disorders Clinic  Nicole Thai MD  Koorosh C Shariat MD  UC Davis Medical Group Pulmonary  UC Davis Medical Group Pulmonary  UC Davis Medical Group Pulmonary  UC Davis Medical Group Pulmonary  UC Davis Medical Group Pulmonary  David M Claman MD  San Jose Pulmonary Associates  David P Sachs MD  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Capital Allergy and Respiratory  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Chest Infectious Disease  Donald C Rifas MD  Chest Infectious Disease  South Bay Respiratory Associates  South Bay Respiratory Associates  Steven Machtinger MD Antioch, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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EmphysemaIntroduction to emphysemaThe lungs are a pair of organs in the chest that are primarily responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air we breathe and the blood. The lung is composed of clusters of small air sacs (alveoli) divided by thin, elastic walls or membranes. Capillaries, the tiniest of blood vessels, run within these walls between the alveoli and allow blood and air to come near each other. The distance between the air in the lungs and the blood in the capillaries is very small, and allows molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide to transfer across the membranes. Air reaches the alveoli via the bronchial tree. The trachea splits into the right and left mainstem bronchi, which branch further into bronchioles and finally ends in the alveolar air sacs. When we breathe in, air enters the lung and the alveoli expand. Oxygen is transferred onto hemoglobin molecules in the red blood cells to be transported to the rest of the body for use. As oxygen attaches to the red blood cell, carbon dioxide, the waste product of metabolism, detaches and crosses into the alveoli to be exhaled. When we breathe out, the alveoli get squeezed by the elasticity in their walls and air is pushed out of the lungs.
What is emphysema?Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lung(s) and occurs when the alveolar walls are destroyed along with the capillary blood vessels that run within them. This lessens the total area within the lung where blood and air can come together, limiting the potential for oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer. In early emphysema, there is associated inflammation of the small airways or bronchioles that limits the amount of air that can flow to the alveoli. In more severe emphysema, there is also loss of elasticity in the alveolar walls that have not been destroyed. When the patient breathes out, th... Recommended Reading Related to EmphysemaWhat Is Heart Failure?Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. With heart failure, blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body's needs. The chambers of the heart respond by stretching to hold more blood to pump through the body or by becoming more stiff and thickened. This helps to keep the blood moving for a short while, but in time, the heart muscle walls weaken and are unable to pump as strongly. As a result, the kidneys often respond by causing the body to retain fluid (water) and sodium. If fluid builds up in the arms, legs, ankles, feet, lungs or other organs, the body becomes congested, and congestive heart failure is the term used to describe the condition. What Causes Heart Failure?Heart failure is caused b... Other Related Emphysema ArticlesEmergency Contact for Antioch
Nearby Antioch Hospitals *Sutter Delta Medical Center John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus John Muir Behavioral Health Center John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez Contra Costa Regional Medical Center San Ramon Regional Medical Center Telecare Solano Psychiatric Health Facility NorthBay Medical Center ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Valley Memorial Hospital Sutter Solano Medical Center St Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center VacaValley Hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Eden Medical Center Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus John George Psychiatric Pavilion Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System San Leandro Hospital Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Sutter Tracy Community Hospital Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo Dameron Hospital Lodi Memorial Hospital West St Joseph's Behavioral Health Center St Joseph's Medical Center Alameda Hospital Lodi Memorial Hospital St Rose Hospital Napa State Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center San Joaquin General Hospital Washington Hospital Queen of the Valley Medical Center Fremont Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hospital Manteca Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Emphysema by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Congestive Heart Failure
- Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump is inadequate to meet the body's needs. A poor blood supply resulting from congestive heart failure may cause the body's organ systems to fail, leading to a weakened heart muscle and fluid accumulation in the lungs and body tissue. There are many diseases that can impair pumping efficiency and symptoms of congestive heart failure including fatigue, diminished exercise capacity, shortness of breath, and swelling. Treatments include lifestyle modifications, medications, heart transplant, and therapy.
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Pneumonia
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Angina
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Acute Bronchitis
- Bronchitis is a disease of the respiratory system in which the bronchial passages become inflamed. There are two types of bronchitis, acute and chronic. Symptoms of acute bronchitis include frequent cough with mucus, lack of energy, wheezing, and possible fever. Treatment may require medication such as bronchial inhalers and predinsone. Supportive treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms with fever reducers, cough suppressants, and rest. Treatment may be more aggressive in patients with pre-existing conditions such as empyema, COPD, or cigarette smoking.
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Chronic Cough
- Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
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Polycythemia (High Red Blood Cell Count)
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
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Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)
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Marfan Syndrome
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Pulmonary Hypertension
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Chronic Bronchitis
- Chronic bronchitis is a cough that occurs daily with production of sputum that lasts for at least three months, two years in a row. Causes of chronic bronchitis include cigarette smoking, inhaled irritants, and underlying disease processes (such as asthma, or congestive heart failure). Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Treatments include bronchodilators and steroids. Complications of chronic bronchitis include COPD and emphysema.
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Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
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Smoking (How to Quit Smoking)
- Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
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Bronchiectasis
- Bronchiectasis is a condition in which the bronchial tubes of the lung become damaged. Inflammation from infection or other causes destroys the smooth muscles of the bronchial tubes. Bronchiectasis is a form of COPD (which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis). There are three primary types of bronchiectasis: 1) cylindrical bronchiectasis; 2) saccular bronchiectasis; and 3) cystic bronchiectasis. Bronchiectasis may also be acquired or congenital. The most common symptoms of bronchiectasis are recurrent cough and sputum production. There is no cure for bronchiectasis. Treatment is often geared toward controlling the symptoms of bronchiectasis.
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Smoker's Lung: Pathology Photo Essay
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Heart Failure
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Chagas Disease
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Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
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Nicotine
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Asthma Complexities
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Lung Anatomy
- The lungs are primarily responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air we breathe and the blood. Eliminating carbon dioxide from the blood is important, because as it builds up in the blood, headaches, drowsiness, coma, and eventually death may occur. The air we breathe in (inhalation) is warmed, humidified, and cleaned by the nose and the lungs.
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Secondhand Smoke
- Secondhand smoke can cause illness and disease in nonsmokers. Some of these conditions include lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, SIDS, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Learn how you can protect yourself and your family from secondhand smoke exposure in the home environment and workplace.
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Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, and Colds
- If you have a COPD such as emphysema, avoiding chronic bronchitis and colds is important to avoid a more severe respiratory infection such as pneumonia. Avoiding cigarette smoking, practice good hygeine, stay away from crowds, and alerting your healthcare provider if you have a sinus infection or cold or cough that becomes worse. Treatment options depend upon the severity of the emphysema, bronchitis, or cold combination.
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Congestive Heart Failure
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Medications
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