Emphysema Center - North Fort Myers, FL
North Fort Myers 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 North Fort Myers * Internal Medicine Associates  Internal Medicine Associates  Howard Eisenberg MD  Pulmonary Disease Associates  Pulmonary Disease Associates  Internal Medicine Associates  Allergy Sleep & Lung Care PA  Sunil N Lalla MD  Healthpark Pulmonary Specialist  Carlos E Maas MD  Moopen & Wei MDs  Carlos E Maas MD  Center for Sleep & Pulmonary Medicine  Sleep Disorders Center of Southwest Florida  Sleep Disorders Center of Southwest Florida  Jose R Marquina MD  Anchor Health Centers Pulmonary & Critical Care  Anchor Health Centers Pulmonary & Critical Care  Anchor Health Centers Pulmonary & Critical Care  Anchor Health Centers Pulmonary & Critical Care  Anchor Health Centers Pulmonary & Critical Care  Anchor Health Centers Pulmonary & Critical Care  Anchor Health Centers Pulmonary & Critical Care  Douglas Harrington DO & Richard M Roland MD  Douglas Harrington DO & Richard M Roland MD  Everett Alsbrook MD  Gulf Coast Pulmonary Associates  Gulf Coast Pulmonary Associates  Aziz Junagadhwalla MD  Pulmonary Medicine Of Venice  Gulf Coast Medical Specialists  Suncoast Lung Center  Suncoast Lung Center  Bradenton Pulmonary Consultants  Lung Associates of Sarasota  Lung Associates of Sarasota  Lung Associates of Sarasota  Lung Associates of Sarasota  Lung Associates of Sarasota  Lung Associates of Sarasota  Lung Associates of Sarasota  Brian E Angsten MD  Heartland Pulmonary & Critical  Heartland Pulmonary & Critical  Heartland Pulmonary & Critical  Lung Associates PA  Horacio Argeles MD  Karen M Stroh MD PA  John Peters DO  The Lung Center  The Lung Center  The Lung Center  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Arif Shakoor MD  Maged A Mehanni MD  Medical Associates of Central Florida  Perwaiz Rahim MD PA  Perwaiz Rahim MD PA  Jonathan P Axel MD PLLC  Bay Area Pulmonary Associates  Tampa Bay Pulmonary & Sleep Disorders  Tampa Bay Pulmonary & Sleep Disorders  Pulmonary/Critical Care Consultants  Pulmonary/Critical Care Consultants  Pulmonary Associates Of Brandon  Coastal Pulmonary & Critical Care  Coastal Pulmonary & Critical Care  Coastal Pulmonary & Critical Care  Coastal Pulmonary & Critical Care  Michael M Newan MD  Clark & Daughtrey Medical Group PA  Clark & Daughtrey Medical Group PA  Clark & Daughtrey Medical Group PA  Clark & Daughtrey Medical Group PA  Clark & Daughtrey Medical Group PA  Pulmonary and Sleep of Tampa Bay  Bond Clinic PA  Bond Clinic PA  Bond Clinic PA  Bay Area Pulmonary PA  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  Bruce M Schnapf DO  USF Physicians Group Pulmonary Medicine  Bruce M Schnapf DO  North East Family Medicine  Watson Clinic LLP  Watson Clinic LLP  Watson Clinic LLP  Pulmonary Associates of Tampa  Stephen M Kreitzer MD  Himanshu Chandarana MD  David H Silverstein MD  Advanced Lung & Sleep Disorder Consultant PA  Rajesh K Agrawal MD  Ernest A Inacay MD  Tampa Lung Specialists  Tampa Lung Specialists North Fort Myers, 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 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 North Fort Myers
Nearby North Fort Myers Hospitals *Cape Coral Hospital Lee Memorial Hospital Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center Gulf Coast Hospital HealthPark Medical Center Lehigh Regional Medical Center Riverside Behavioral Center Charlotte Regional Medical Center Fawcett Memorial Hospital Peace River Medical Center NCH Healthcare System North Collier Hospital Englewood Community Hospital Physicians Regional Medical Center Pine Ridge Rd 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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