Emphysema Center - Novato, CA
Novato 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 Novato * Redwood Sleep Center  Pulmonary Medicine & Critical Care Medicine Inc  Pulmonary Medicine & Critical Care Medicine Inc  East Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  East Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  East Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  East Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  Alliance Medical Group Inc  David C Budson MD  UCSF VA Medical Center  UCSF VA Medical Center  Crawford Chung MD  Neal Miyasaki MD  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  Frank M Delen MD  Ronald B Elkin MD  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  Gerald B Levine MD  Queen of the Valley Medical Center Radiation Oncology  Kenneth D Chan MD  David M Claman MD  Anthony Cosentino MD  Fred B Hom MD  Daniel M Raybin MD  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  David J Erle MD  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  Talmadge E King MD  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Pulmonary Medicine  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  Vu Tran MD  Ketan C Mehta MD  James M Steele MD  NorthBay Sleep Medicine Institute  NorthBay Sleep Medicine Institute  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  San Francisco General Hospital  Victor E Iacovoni MD  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Berkeley Pulmonary & Critical Care Medical Group  Paul J Marks MD  Revels Cayton MD  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Richard Nusser MD Inc  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center  Peter Brion MD  Jerrold A Kram MD  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Dale E Kocienski MD  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Robert C Ang MD  William S Lowery MD  Pulmonary Associates  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Pulmonary Associates  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Pulmonary Associates  Diablo Pulmonary Medical Group  Jorge A Salazar-Suero MD  Muir Pulmonary & Critical Care  Muir Pulmonary & Critical Care  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Respiratory Medical Group  Ratnasothy Rajah MD  T Craig Williams MD  Steven Machtinger MD  Laurence Athos MD  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Kaiser Medical Center Hayward Pulmonary & Infectious Disease  Sammy T Hung MD Novato, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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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 Novato
Nearby Novato Hospitals *Novato Community Hospital Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center Kentfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospital Petaluma Valley Hospital Marin General Hospital Sonoma Valley Hospital Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo St Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center Sutter Solano Medical Center Napa State Hospital Queen of the Valley Medical Center San Francisco VA Medical Center California Pacific Medical Center California Campus California Pacific Medical Center East Campus California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus Chinese Hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion Saint Francis Memorial Hospital St Mary's Medical Center Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus Palm Drive Hospital Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Main Campus UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center San Francisco General Hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez St Luke's Hospital Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa Chanate Campus Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus Telecare Solano Psychiatric Health Facility Alameda Hospital Seton Medical Center John Muir Behavioral Health Center John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus NorthBay Medical Center St Helena Hospital Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco 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. |
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