Emphysema Center - Danbury, CT
Danbury 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 Danbury * Community Health Center  Danbury Hospital Pulmonary  Danbury Hospital Pulmonary  Danbury Hospital Pulmonary  Danbury Hospital Pulmonary  Danbury Hospital Pulmonary  Danbury Hospital Pulmonary  Danbury Hospital Pulmonary  Associated Pulmonologists Western Connecticut  Associated Pulmonologists Western Connecticut  Associated Pulmonologists Western Connecticut  Pulmonary & Internal Medicine Associates PC  Pulmonary & Internal Medicine Associates PC  Pulmonary & Internal Medicine Associates PC  Pulmonary & Internal Medicine Associates PC  Philip Simkovitz MD  Respiratory & Internal Medicine Assoc  Pulmonary & Internal Medicine of Fairfield County PC  Norwalk Medical Group PC  Norwalk Medical Group PC  Norwalk Hospital Dept of Pulmonary Medicine  Norwalk Hospital Dept of Pulmonary Medicine  Norwalk Pulmonary Consultants  Norwalk Pulmonary Consultants  Norwalk Hospital Dept of Pulmonary Medicine  William B Fitzgerald MD  Soundview Medical Associates  Associates in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine  Associates in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine  Associates in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine  Associates in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine  Robert B Brown MD  Allergy & Pulmonary Specialists PC  Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Associates  Anton N Chinniah MD  Madhu S Gowda MD  Carlos S Schweitzer MD  Pulmonary Specialties  Pulmonary Specialties  Robert A Sheiman MD  A Michael Marino MD  Franklin Medical Group PC  Franklin Medical Group PC  Medical Group of Milford  Greenwich Medical Group  Nitai I Riegler & Steven L Saunders MDs  Waterbury Pulmonary  Waterbury Pulmonary  Waterbury Pulmonary  Waterbury Pulmonary  Waterbury Pulmonary  Internal Medicine Of Milford PC  Jegathesan & Jegathesan MDs  Richard Krinsky MD  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Pulmonary Care PC  Jacob S Loke MD  Chapel Pulmonary & Critical Care  Pulmonary Care PC  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Pulmonary & Critical Care  Yale Occupational & Environmental Medicine  Pulmonary Associates of New Haven  Pulmonary Associates of New Haven  Pulmonary Associates of New Haven  Pulmonary Associates of New Haven  Pulmonary Associates of New Haven  Lung Associates of Connecticut  CT Medical Group  Pacifico Flores Jr. MD  Pulmonary Associates Of Bristol  Pulmonary Associates Of Bristol  Pulmonary Associates Of Bristol  Pulmonary Associates Of Bristol  Pulmonary Associates  Giosa & Brown Pulmonary Associates Danbury, ConnecticutUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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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 Danbury
Nearby Danbury Hospitals *Danbury Hospital Putnam Hospital Center Four Winds Hospital New Milford Hospital Silver Hill Hospital Hall-Brooke Behavioral Health Services St Vincent's Medical Center Northern Westchester Hospital Center Norwalk Hospital Griffin Hospital Greater Bridgeport Community Mental Health Center Bridgeport Hospital Waterbury Hospital Milford Hospital Hudson Valley Hospital Center Stamford Hospital St Mary's Hospital Stony Lodge Hospital Greenwich Hospital FDR Campus of the VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System Montrose VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus Hospital of St Raphael Keller Army Community Hospital Connecticut Mental Health Center Yale-New Haven Hospital Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System Castle Point Campus Blythedale Children's Hospital Maria Fareri Children's Hospital Westchester Medical Center New York Presbyterian Westchester Phelps Memorial Hospital Center White Plains Hospital Center St Luke's Cornwall Hospital Newburgh Campus Helen Hayes Hospital The Burke Rehabilitation Hospital St Luke's Cornwall Hospital Cornwell Campus St Vincent's Hospital Westchester Rye Hospital Center Gaylord Hospital Nyack Hospital Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Masonic Healthcare Center Vassar Brothers Medical Center Bristol Hospital The Hospital of Central Connecticut Bradley Campus St Francis Hospital Poughkeepsie Hudson River Psychiatric Center The Turning Point Saint Francis Hospital Beacon Dobbs Ferry Pavillion @ St Johns Riverside Hospital Sharon Hospital Summit Park Hospital Northport VA Medical Center 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
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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
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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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