Emphysema Center - Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto * Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Andrew B Newman MD  Stanford Hospital Pulmonary  Glenn D Rosen MD  Stanford Hospital Pulmonary  David P Sachs MD  Stanford Hospital Sleep Disorders Clinic  Sigal A Tene MD  Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates  Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates  Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates  Bruce W Beck MD  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Camino Medical Group Pulmonary  Camino Medical Group Pulmonary  Foothill Medical Clinic  Robert C Ang 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  Steven Machtinger MD  Samir N Vora MD  Mowry Medical Group Inc  Ali Bassiri MD  Forest Avenue Medical Group  Carl M Kirsch MD  Laurence Athos MD  Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Associates  Ratnasothy Rajah MD  T Craig Williams MD  San Jose Medical Group  San Jose Medical Group  Jagat B Satia MD  South Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  South Bay Respiratory Associates  South Bay Respiratory Associates  Huan & Hla MD  Nicole Thai MD  San Jose Pulmonary Associates  Koorosh C Shariat MD  William S Lowery MD  Jerrold A Kram MD  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Palo Alto Medical Foundation Dublin Center  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Dale E Kocienski MD  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Richard Nusser MD Inc  Revels Cayton MD  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  Desmond C Gunatilaka MD  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  San Francisco General Hospital  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  Crawford Chung MD  Fred B Hom MD  Kenneth D Chan 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  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  San Francisco Critical Care Medical Group Inc  David M Claman MD  Frank M Delen MD  Ronald B Elkin MD Palo Alto, 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 Palo Alto
Nearby Palo Alto Hospitals *Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Menlo Park Surgical Hospital Stanford Hospital & Clinics VA Palo Alto Health Care System Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center Sequoia Hospital El Camino Hospital San Mateo Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center Fremont Hospital Mills Hospital Washington Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center St Rose Hospital Mills-Peninsula Health Services O'Connor Hospital Santa Clara Valley Medical Center El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose Eden Medical Center Regional Medical Center of San Jose Good Samaritan Hospital Mission Oaks Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus John George Psychiatric Pavilion San Leandro Hospital Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area Seton Medical Center Coastside Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center Alameda Hospital ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Seton Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus St Luke's Hospital Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System San Francisco General Hospital San Ramon Regional Medical Center Valley Memorial Hospital Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Chinese Hospital St Mary's Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus California Pacific Medical Center East Campus California Pacific Medical Center California Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus San Francisco VA Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center Dominican Hospital John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus Sutter Maternity & Surgery 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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