Emphysema Center - Clearwater, FL
Clearwater 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 Clearwater * Steven Tinsley MD  Brian G Salisbury MD  Bay Area Chest Physicians  Bay Area Chest Physicians  Bay Area Chest Physicians  Bay Area Chest Physicians  Salah F Al-Andary MD  Diagnostic Clinic Largo  Respiratory Specialists  Respiratory Specialists  Francis J Averill MD  Suncoast Internal Medicine Consultants  Bhaskar & Shah MDs  Bay Area Medical Center  Claudia A Bonilla MD  Medical Associates  Medical Associates  Rajesh K Agrawal MD  Advanced Lung & Sleep Disorder Consultant PA  David H Silverstein MD  Himanshu Chandarana MD  Reinerio Linares-Mera MD PA  North East Family Medicine  Bay Area Pulmonary PA  Hernando Bernal MD  Hernan Giraldo MD  Michael M Newan MD  Coastal Pulmonary & Critical Care  Coastal Pulmonary & Critical Care  Coastal Pulmonary & Critical Care  Coastal Pulmonary & Critical Care  Pulmonary/Critical Care Consultants  Pulmonary/Critical Care Consultants  Sivakumar V Amar MD & Jay Chowdappa MD  Pasco Pulmonary Medical Center  Pasco Pulmonary Medical Center  Mukesh R Patel MD  Pasco Lung Center Inc  Pasco Lung Center Inc  Pasco Lung Center Inc  Gulf Coast Pulmonary Assoc  Gulf Coast Pulmonary Assoc  Pulmonary Associates of Tampa  Stephen M Kreitzer MD  Cernuda & Cohen MD PA  Rozas Smith Chandler Perez Reina MDs LLP  Cernuda & Cohen MD PA  Rozas Smith Chandler Perez Reina MDs LLP  Rozas Smith Chandler Perez Reina MDs LLP  Rozas Smith Chandler Perez Reina MDs LLP  Rozas Smith Chandler Perez Reina MDs LLP  Rozas Smith Chandler Perez Reina MDs LLP  Tampa Lung Specialists  Tampa Lung Specialists  Tampa Bay Pulmonary Associates PA  Tampa Bay Pulmonary Associates PA  Tampa Bay Pulmonary Associates PA  Tampa Bay Pulmonary Associates PA  Ernest A Inacay MD  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  Bruce M Schnapf DO  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  Bruce M Schnapf DO  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  Florida Medical Clinic  Florida Medical Clinic  Richard P Molloy MD PA  Daniel J Schwartz MD  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Disease  Michael N Newton MD PA  West Pasco Pulmonary Associates  West Pasco Pulmonary Associates  Florida Medical Clinic PA  Florida Medical Clinic PA  Florida Medical Clinic - Pulmonology  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Horacio Argeles MD  Lung Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Jonathan P Axel MD PLLC  Tampa Bay Pulmonary & Sleep Disorders  Tampa Bay Pulmonary & Sleep Disorders  Bay Area Pulmonary Associates  The Lung Center  The Lung Center  The Lung Center  John Peters DO  Karen M Stroh MD PA  Bradenton Pulmonary Consultants  Florida Sleep Institute Clearwater, FloridaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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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 Clearwater
Nearby Clearwater Hospitals *Morton Plant Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Largo Mease Dunedin Hospital Largo Medical Center Windmoor Healthcare of Clearwater Sun Coast Hospital Mease Countryside Hospital Bay Pines VA Healthcare System Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital St Petersburg General Hospital Town & Country Hospital Palms of Pasadena Hospital Edward White Hospital St Anthony's Hospital Bayfront Medical Center All Children's Hospital Kindred Hospital Tampa University Community Hospital Carrollwood Kindred Hospital St Petersburg St Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa St Joseph's Hospital St Joseph's Women's Hospital Memorial Hospital of Tampa Community Hospital of New Port Richey Kindred Hospital Central Tampa Morton Plant North Bay Hospital Tampa General Hospital Shriners Hospital for Children James A Haley VA Medical Center University Community Hospital H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point Brandon Regional Hospital South Bay Hospital 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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Chronic Bronchitis
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Smoking (How to Quit Smoking)
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Secondhand Smoke
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