Emphysema Center - Plymouth, MN
Plymouth 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 Plymouth * Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Park Nicollet Clinic Meadowbrook Pulmonary & Critical Care  Respiratory Consultants  Respiratory Consultants  Respiratory Consultants  Respiratory Consultants  Respiratory Consultants  Respiratory Consultants  Respiratory Consultants  Two Rivers Lung Specialists  RiverWay Clinics Anoka  Northwind Lung Specialists & Sleep Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center & Pulmonary Clinic  Comprehensive Cancer Center & Pulmonary Clinic  Comprehensive Cancer Center & Pulmonary Clinic  Comprehensive Cancer Center & Pulmonary Clinic  Comprehensive Cancer Center & Pulmonary Clinic  Comprehensive Cancer Center & Pulmonary Clinic  Children's Respiratory Clinic  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Minnesota Lung Center  Midwest Internal Medicine  Regions Hospital Pulmonary & Critical Care Division  Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates PA  Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates PA  Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates PA  Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates PA  Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates PA  Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates PA  Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates PA  Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates PA  Regions Hospital Pulmonary & Critical Care Division  Regions Hospital Pulmonary & Critical Care Division  Regions Hospital Pulmonary & Critical Care Division  Regions Hospital Pulmonary & Critical Care Division  Regions Hospital Pulmonary & Critical Care Division  Health Partners Specialty Center  Health Partners Specialty Center  Health Partners Specialty Center  Healtheast Maplewood Clinic Internal Medicine  CentraCare Clinic River Campus  CentraCare Clinic River Campus  CentraCare Clinic River Campus  CentraCare Clinic River Campus  Allergy Asthma & Pulmonary Associates  Mayo Clinic  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Allergy & Immunology  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pediatric Critical Care  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Plymouth, MinnesotaUpcoming 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 Plymouth
Nearby Plymouth Hospitals *Regency Hospital of Minneapolis North Memorial Medical Center Fairview Maple Grove Medical Center Methodist Hospital Hennepin County Medical Center Phillips Eye Institute Children's Hospitals and Clinics Minneapolis Abbott Northwestern Hospital Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Fairview Southdale Hospital University of Minnesota Medical Center Fairview Riverside Campus Unity Hospital University of Minnesota Medical Center Fairview University Campus Mercy Hospital Shriners Hospital for Children Twin Cities Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center Minneapolis VA Medical Center St Francis Regional Medical Center Children's Hospitals and Clinics St Paul St Joseph's Hospital United Hospital Bethesda Rehabilitation Hospital Saint Paul Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare Regions Hospital Ridgeview Medical Center Fairview Ridges Hospital St John's Hospital Buffalo Hospital Monticello-Big Lake Hospital Woodwinds Health Campus Fairview Lakes Medical Center Lakeview Hospital Queen of Peace Hospital Regina 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. |
Suggested Reading on Emphysema by Our Doctors
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