Emphysema Center - Saint Charles, MO
Saint Charles 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 Saint Charles * Midwest Chest Consultants  Midwest Chest Consultants  Midwest Chest Consultants  SSM DePaul Medical Group Northway Internists  Pulmonary Disease Consultants Inc  SSM DePaul Medical Group Northway Internists  Richard E Parcinski DO FCCP LLC  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Ahmareen Khan MD  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Advantage Pulmonary PC  Care Clinical Research  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Care of E Missouri  Pulmonary Care of E Missouri  Mid-West Pulmonary Specialists LLC  Mitchell Botney MD  Mitchell Botney MD  Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine LLC  Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine LLC  DePaul Medical Group at Roy Johnson Medical Center  Kirk Flury MD  Lung Care Specialists  Midwest Pulmonary & Critical Care Consultants  Caduceus Corp  Korgi V Hegde MD  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Joseph M Seria MD  Maryland Medical Group  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Washington University Lung Center  Pulmonary Diagnostic Services  Nguyet M Nguyen MD  Caduceus Corp  Caduceus Corp  Veterans Affairs Medical Center  St Louis University Hospital Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine  St Louis University Hospital Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine  St Louis University Hospital Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine  Intermed Medical Consultants  Intermed Medical Consultants  Intermed Medical Consultants  Intermed Medical Consultants  Intermed Medical Consultants  Intermed Medical Consultants  Assoc's in Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine, Inc  Assoc's in Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine, Inc  Thoracic & Critical Care Medicine  Thoracic & Critical Care Medicine  Thoracic & Critical Care Medicine  Ste Genevieve Family Health Ctr Saint Charles, MissouriUpcoming Local Events2012-06-09
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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 Saint Charles
Nearby Saint Charles Hospitals *SSM St Joseph Health Center SSM DePaul Health Center Barnes-Jewish St Peter's Hospital St John's Urgent Care Center Saint Peters Ranken Jordan Pediatric Rehabilitation Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital Northwest HealthCare Center Pointe Hospital St Luke's Hospital St Luke's Urgent Care Center in St Charles St John's Mercy Medical Center St John's Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital Dubuis Hospital of St Louis Missouri Baptist Medical Center St John's Mercy Urgent Care Center Shriners Hospital for Children Hawthorn Children's Psychiatric Hospital Christian Hospital NE Progress West HealthCare Center St Luke's Urgent Care Center at WingHaven St Luke's Urgent Care Center on Clarkson Road Des Peres Hospital SSM Rehab SSM St Mary's Health Center Metropolitan St Louis Psychiatric Center SSM St Joseph Hospital West Forest Park Community Hospital Select Specialty Hospital St Louis Barnes-Jewish Hospital North Campus Kindred Hospital St Louis Barnes-Jewish Hospital South Campus St Louis Children's Hospital The Rehabilitation Institute of St Louis St Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center St Louis VA Medical Center John Cochran Division Saint Louis University Hospital SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center SSM St Clare Health Center St Clare's Hospital St Anthony's Health Center St Luke's Urgent Care Center in Fenton Alton Memorial Hospital Gateway Regional Medical Center St Alexius Hospital Broadway Campus Kindred Hospital St Anthony's St Anthony's Medical Center SSM St Joseph Health Center Wentzville Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital St Louis VA Medical Center Jefferson Barracks Jersey Community Hospital Touchette Regional Hospital Lincoln County Medical Center Anderson Hospital Memorial Hospital Belleville St John's Mercy Hospital St Elizabeth's Hospital Belleville 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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