Emphysema Center - Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz * Santa Cruz Pulmonary Medical Group  Santa Cruz Pulmonary Medical Group  Santa Cruz Pulmonary Medical Group  Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel Ave  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Michael J Suval DO  Brennan Medical Group  South Bay Pulmonary Medical Group  Jagat B Satia MD  Robert C Ang MD  Foothill Medical Clinic  Desmond C Gunatilaka MD  Carl M Kirsch MD  Ali Bassiri MD  San Jose Medical Group  San Jose Medical Group  Forest Avenue Medical Group  Bruce W Beck MD  South Bay Respiratory Associates  South Bay Respiratory Associates  Camino Medical Group Pulmonary  Camino Medical Group Pulmonary  Steven Packer MD  San Jose Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Huan & Hla MD  Nicole Thai MD  Koorosh C Shariat MD  George Green MD  David P Sachs MD  Stanford Hospital Pulmonary  Glenn D Rosen MD  Stanford Hospital Pulmonary  Andrew B Newman MD  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Rinderknecht Klein & Taub MD  Rinderknecht Klein & Taub MD  Rinderknecht Klein & Taub MD  Stanford Hospital Sleep Disorders Clinic  Sigal A Tene MD  Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates  Redwood Pulmonary Medical Associates  Samir N Vora MD  Mowry Medical Group Inc  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  Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Associates  Pulmonary Associates  Laurence Athos MD  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Palo Alto Medical Foundation Dublin Center  Tri Valley Medical Associates  Ratnasothy Rajah MD  T Craig Williams MD  William S Lowery MD  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Dale E Kocienski MD  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Peninsula Pulmonary Medical  Peter Brion MD  Jerrold A Kram MD  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  UCSF Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine  San Francisco General Hospital  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  Richard Nusser MD Inc  Bay Area Pulmonary Medical  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  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  Fred B Hom MD Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz
Nearby Santa Cruz Hospitals *Dominican Hospital Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Watsonville Community Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital Mission Oaks Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Santa Clara Valley Medical Center O'Connor Hospital Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center Saint Louise Regional Hospital El Camino Hospital Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Medical Center of San Jose Natividad Medical Center VA Palo Alto Health Care System Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System Stanford Hospital & Clinics Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Menlo Park Surgical Hospital 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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