Emphysema Center - Birmingham, AL
Birmingham 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 Birmingham * Norwood Clinic Pulmonary & Nephrology Medicine  Norwood Clinic Pulmonary & Nephrology Medicine  Norwood Clinic Pulmonary & Nephrology Medicine  UAB Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Division  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  UAB Hospital Pulmonary  Birmingham Pulmonary Group PC  Birmingham Pulmonary Group PC  Birmingham Pulmonary Group PC  Birmingham Pulmonary Group PC  Birmingham Pulmonary Group PC  Birmingham Pulmonary Group PC  Birmingham Pulmonary Group PC  Princeton Pulmonary Group PC  Princeton Pulmonary Group PC  Princeton Pulmonary Group PC  Princeton Pulmonary Group PC  Pulmonary Associates of the Southeast PC  Pulmonary Associates of the Southeast PC  Pulmonary Associates of the Southeast PC  Pulmonary Associates of the Southeast PC  Pulmonary Associates of the Southeast PC  Pulmonary Medicine Associates PC  Pulmonary Medicine Associates PC  Pulmonary Medicine Associates PC  Pulmonary & Sleep Associates  Pulmonary & Sleep Associates  Pulmonary & Sleep Associates  Eastern Pulmonary Sleep & Allergy PC  William E Doggett MD  Eastern Pulmonary Sleep & Allergy PC  Walter R Ross Jr. MD  Eastern Pulmonary Sleep & Allergy PC  Princeton Pulmonary Group PC  Princeton Pulmonary Group PC  Pulmonary Medicine Associates PC  Jan Westerman MD  Chest Medicine of Cullman  Tuscaloosa Lung & Sleep  Tuscaloosa Lung & Sleep  Tuscaloosa Lung & Sleep  Tuscaloosa Lung & Sleep  Tuscaloosa Lung & Sleep  Tuscaloosa Lung & Sleep  Richard M Snow MD  Tuscaloosa Lung & Sleep  Rapid Care  Shah Clinic of Northeast Alabama  Luis R Urbina MD  A Lynn Luther MD  Muhammad A Kaleem MD  William J Ferguson MD  Calhoun Cleburne Mental Health  Anniston Medical Clinic  Rohit G Patel MD  Randy Stubbs MD  Valley Pulmonary & Critical Care  Devi P Misra MD  Pulmonary & Sleep Assoc of Huntsville  Pulmonary & Sleep Assoc of Huntsville  Pulmonary & Sleep Assoc of Huntsville  Huntsville Lung Associates  Huntsville Lung Associates  Huntsville Lung Associates  The Sleep Center  Huntsville Pulmonary Medicine  Huntsville Pulmonary Medicine  Tennessee Valley Lung Care  North Alabama Pulmonary & Sleep Consultants  Montgomery Pulmonary Consultants  Montgomery Pulmonary Consultants  Montgomery Pulmonary Consultants  Montgomery Pulmonary Consultants  Montgomery Pulmonary Consultants  Montgomery Pulmonary Consultants Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in the state of Alabama in the United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County and includes part of Shelby County.
Over the course of the 20th century, the city's economy diversified. Though the manufacturing industry maintains a strong presence in Birmingham, other industries such as banking, insurance, medicine, publishing, and biotechnology have risen in stature. Birmingham has been recognized as one of the top cities for income growth in the United States South with a significant increase in per capita income since 1990.
Today, Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and is also one of the largest banking centers in the U.S. In addition, the Birmingham area serves as headquarters to one Fortune 500 company: Regions Financial. Five Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in Birmingham. Upcoming Local Events2012-06-09
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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 Birmingham
Nearby Birmingham Hospitals *Birmingham VA Medical Center UAB Hospital Children's Hospital Cooper Green Hospital Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital St Vincent's Hospital UAB Highlands Hospital Princeton Baptist Trinity Medical Center HEALTHSOUTH Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital Brookwood Medical Center Hill Crest Behavioral Health Services St Vincent's East UAB Medical West Shelby Baptist Medical Center Bradford Health Services St Vincent's St Clair Walker Baptist Medical Center St Vincent's Blount 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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Congestive Heart Failure
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Pneumonia
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Chronic Cough
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Pulmonary Hypertension
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Chronic Bronchitis
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Smoking (How to Quit Smoking)
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Bronchiectasis
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Heart Failure
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Chagas Disease
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Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
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Asthma Complexities
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Lung Anatomy
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Secondhand Smoke
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Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, and Colds
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