Emphysema Center - Pawtucket, RI
Pawtucket 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 Pawtucket * Mohammad A Khan MD  Memorial Hospital Pulmonary Medicine  Hassan Ettensohn Medical Specialists  Hassan Ettensohn Medical Specialists  Memorial Hospital Pulmonary Medicine  Memorial Hospital Pulmonary Medicine  University Medicine Foundation Inc  University Medicine Foundation  University Medical Group  Naomi R Kramer MD  University Medical Group  University Medical Group  University Medicine Foundation  University Medicine Foundation  University Medicine Foundation  Robert Klein MD  University Medicine Foundation  Rhode Island Hospital Pulmonary Disease  University Medicine Foundation  Robert Klein MD  Nicholas S Ward MD  Coastal Medical  Coastal Medical  Coastal Medical  Coastal Medical  Coastal Medical  Women & Infants Hospital  Lung Diseases & Respiratory Care Inc  John A Pella MD FCCP Ltd  Medical Group of Rhode Island Inc  Kent Pulmonary LLC  Stephen L Matarese DO  Cedars Medical and Cosmetics  Cedars Medical and Cosmetics  University Medicine Foundation  University Pulmonary Associates & Asthma Center  University Pulmonary Associates & Asthma Center  University Pulmonary Associates & Asthma Center  South County Pulmonary Medicine Inc  South County Pulmonary Medicine Inc Pawtucket, Rhode IslandUpcoming 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 Pawtucket
Nearby Pawtucket Hospitals *Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island The Miriam Hospital Butler Hospital Arbour-Fuller Hospital Providence VA Medical Center Roger Williams Medical Center Our Lady of Fatima Hospital Hasbro Children's Hospital Rhode Island Hospital Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island Southern New England Rehabilitation Center St Joseph Health Services Bradley Hospital Sturdy Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island Eleanor Slater Hospital Pastore Center Landmark Medical Center Kent Hospital Taunton State Hospital Morton Hospital & Medical Center Charlton Memorial Hospital Saint Anne's Hospital Milford Regional Medical Center Eleanor Slater Hospital Zambarano Unit Boston VA Healthcare System Brockton Kindred Specialty Hospital Stoughton Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center Caritas Norwood Hospital New England Sinai Hospital & Rehabilitation Center Westwood Lodge Hospital Massachusetts Hospital School New Bedford Rehabilitation Hospital Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Hubbard Regional Hospital Newport Hospital Day Kimball Hospital Kindred Specialty Hospital Braintree Kindred Specialty Hospital Natick MetroWest Medical Center Leonard Morse Hospital MetroWest Medical Center Framingham Union Hospital  Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham  St Luke's Hospital  Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital  Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough  VA Boston Healthcare System West Roxbury Campus  Milton Hospital  South Shore Hospital  Bournewood Hospital  South County Hospital  Westborough State Hospital  Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged  Quincy Medical Center  Faulkner Hospital  Caritas Carney Hospital  Newton Wellesley Hospital  Massachusetts Mental Health Center  Lemuel Shattuck Hospital  Arbour Hospital  UMass Memorial Medical Center University Campus  Worcester State Hospital  Radius Specialty Hospital Boston  UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital  VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus  St Vincent Hospital at Worcester Medical Center  New England Baptist Hospital  UMass Memorial Medical Center Memorial Campus  Brigham & Women's Hospital  Adcare Hospital of Worcester  Caritas St Elizabeth's Medical Center  Dana Farber Cancer Institute  Kindred Hospital Boston  Children's Hospital Boston  Franciscan Hospital for Children  Beth Israel Deaconess 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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