Emphysema Center - Fall River, MA
Fall River 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 Fall River * Richard E Tosi MD  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Truesdale Clinic Southcoast Physicians Services  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Hawthorn Medical Associates  Christos Kapogiannis MD & Curtis J Mello MD  Christos Kapogiannis MD & Curtis J Mello MD  New Bedford Rehab Hospital  Internal Medicine Health Assoc  Emory Medical Associates  Hesameddin Karimeddiny MD  Caritas Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine  Frank J Breslin MD  Ronald Coutu MD  Thomas A Morris III MD  William M Stenson MD  Emmet J Eby MD  Signature Healthcare Bridgewater Goddard Park Medical Associates  Sleep Health Centers  Caritas Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine  Associates In Internal Medicine  Associates In Internal Medicine  Drs Mazzotta & Woodford  Drs Mazzotta & Woodford  Aboualkheir Alzaim MD  Harbor Medical & Associates  Harbor Medical & Associates  Thomas W Irvine MD  Pulmonary & Primary Care Associates  Mir F Shuttari MD  Pulmonary & Primary Care Associates  Pulmonary & Primary Care Associates  Granite Medical Group  Granite Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Associates  Jordan Hospital Internal Medicine Hospitalists  MGH Pediatric Pulmonology  Lung Allergy & Sleep Specialists  Lung Allergy & Sleep Specialists  Anthony M DeMarco MD  Lung Allergy & Sleep Specialists  Lung Allergy & Sleep Specialists  Caritas Carney Hospital Pulmonary Medicine & Critical Care  Caritas Carney Hospital Pulmonary Medicine & Critical Care  Beth Israel Deaconess Needham Emergency Medicine  Peter A Ostrow MD  Internists Associated PC  Faulkner LBB_Hospital Pulmonary  Raul Laguarda MD  Charles River Medical Associates  VA Boston Healthcare System  VA Boston Healthcare System  Marilyn P Griffin MD  Brigham & Womens Hospital Center for Chest Disease  Brigham & Womens Hospital Center for Chest Disease  Brigham & Womens Hospital Center for Chest Disease  Brigham & Womens Hospital Center for Chest Disease  Brigham & Womens Hospital Center for Chest Disease  Brigham & Womens Hospital Center for Chest Disease  Brigham & Womens Hospital Center for Chest Disease  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Jules Schwaber MD  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Brigham & Women's Hospital Center for Chest Diseases  Benjamin White MD  Beer & Vernovsky MDs  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Children's Hospital Boston Pulmonology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beer & Vernovsky MDs  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Boston Medical Center Pulmonary  Boston Medical Center Pulmonary Fall River, MassachusettsUpcoming 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 Fall River
Nearby Fall River Hospitals *Charlton Memorial Hospital Saint Anne's Hospital New Bedford Rehabilitation Hospital St Luke's Hospital Bradley Hospital Taunton State Hospital Morton Hospital & Medical Center Hasbro Children's Hospital Rhode Island Hospital Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island Newport Hospital Southern New England Rehabilitation Center St Joseph Health Services Butler Hospital Kent Hospital Eleanor Slater Hospital Pastore Center Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island The Miriam Hospital Providence VA Medical Center Roger Williams Medical Center Sturdy Memorial Hospital Arbour-Fuller Hospital Our Lady of Fatima Hospital Tobey Hospital Boston VA Healthcare System Brockton South County Hospital Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center Landmark Medical Center Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Kindred Specialty Hospital Stoughton Falmouth Hospital Jordan Hospital New England Sinai Hospital & Rehabilitation Center Massachusetts Hospital School Kindred Specialty Hospital Braintree Martha's Vineyard Hospital Pembroke Hospital Caritas Norwood Hospital South Shore Hospital Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape & Islands 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
- 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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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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Lung Anatomy
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Secondhand Smoke
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Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, and Colds
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