Emphysema Center - Modesto, CA
Modesto 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 Modesto * Doctors Medical Center Hospitalist  Sutter Gould Medical Foundation Pulmonary  Sutter Gould Medical Foundation Pulmonary  Sawtantra Chopra MD  Sierra Valley Lung & Sleep  Jagjeet S Kalra MD  Mehernosh E Dah MD  Pulmonary Disease Specialists  Pulmonary Disease Specialists  Pacific Sleep Disorders Center  R R Kumar MD  Sunit Patel MD  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Springhill Medical Group  Springhill Medical Group  George Green MD  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Ravinder Gupta MD  MedClinic Medical Group Timberlake  Koorosh C Shariat MD  Palo Alto Medical Foundation Dublin Center  Huan & Hla MD  Nicole Thai MD  San Jose Pulmonary Associates  Desmond C Gunatilaka MD  South Bay Respiratory Associates  South Bay Respiratory Associates  San Jose Medical Group  San Jose Medical Group  Mowry Medical Group Inc  Samir N Vora MD  Carl M Kirsch MD  Ali Bassiri MD  Forest Avenue Medical Group  Jeffry H Jones MD  Capital Allergy and Respiratory  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine  UC Davis Division of Pulmonary Internal Medicine  Jagat B Satia MD  Chest Infectious Disease  South Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  Donald C Rifas MD  Chest Infectious Disease  Robert C Ang MD  CHW Medical Foundation  Mercy Medical Group Allergy Dermatology & Pulmonology  Albin B Leong MD  Delbert H Meyer MD  Michael J Suval DO  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  Brennan Medical Group  Pulmonary Medicine Associates Carmichael  Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine  Pulmonary Medicine Associates Carmichael  Pulmonary Medicine Associates Carmichael  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Muir Pulmonary & Critical Care  Muir Pulmonary & Critical Care  Jorge A Salazar-Suero MD  Laurence Athos MD  Sammy T Hung MD  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Camino Medical Group Pulmonary  Camino Medical Group Pulmonary  Alexander H Massey MD  Bruce W Beck MD  Foothill Medical Clinic  UC Davis Medical Group Roseville  Ratnasothy Rajah MD  T Craig Williams MD  Pulmonary Medicine Associates  Pulmonary Medicine Associates  Pulmonary Medicine Associates  Pulmonary Medicine Associates  Pulmonary Medicine Associates  Pulmonary Medicine Associates Modesto, CaliforniaUpcoming 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 Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a group of disorders which share common features including easy bruising, joint hypermobility (loose joints), skin that stretches easily (skin hyperelasticity or laxity), and weakness of tissues. The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are inherited in the genes that are passed from parents to offspring. They are categorized according to the form of genetic transmission into different types with many features differing between patients in any given type. The fragile skin and loose joints is often a result of abnormal genes that produce abnormal proteins that confer an inherited frailty of collagen (the normal protein "glue" of our tissues). In 2001, researchers discovered a new form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that is caused by an inherited abnormality in a protein other than collagen that also normally plays a role in binding together the cells of our tissues (including the skin, tendons, muscle... Other Related Emphysema ArticlesEmergency Contact for Modesto
Nearby Modesto Hospitals *Kindred Hospital Modesto Doctors Medical Center of Modesto Memorial Medical Center Stanislaus Surgical Hospital Oak Valley Hospital Emanuel Medical Center Doctors Hospital of Manteca Kaiser Permanente Hospital Manteca San Joaquin General Hospital Sutter Tracy Community Hospital Dameron Hospital St Joseph's Medical Center St Joseph's Behavioral Health 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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