Emphysema Center - Sun City West, AZ
Sun City West 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 Sun City West * The Clinic For Chest Diseases  Farid Ghebleh MD  Craig Rundbaken DO PLLC  The Clinic For Chest Diseases  Sunrise Medical Center  Sunrise Medical Center  Sunrise Medical Center  Arizona Lung Sleep & Valley Fever Institute  Arizona Lung Sleep & Valley Fever Institute  The Clinic For Chest Diseases  Sunrise Medical Center  Sunrise Medical Center  Sunrise Medical Center  Phoenix Medical Group PC  Phoenix Medical Group PC  Phoenix Medical Group PC  Phoenix Medical Group PC  Phoenix Medical Group PC  A-Plus Pulmonary Center PC  Northwest Chest Consultants  Northwest Chest Consultants  Northwest Chest Consultants  Northwest Chest Consultants  Northwest Chest Consultants  Paseo Medical Specialists  Paseo Medical Specialists  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  John N Glover MD Ltd  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Central Arizona Medical Associates  Central Arizona Medical Associates  Schimke Medical Clinic  Affiliated Chest Physicians, Ltd  Affiliated Chest Physicians, Ltd  Affiliated Chest Physicians, Ltd  Affiliated Chest Physicians, Ltd  Pulmonary Associates PA  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pediatric Pulmonary  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Norman M Fernando MD  Pulmonary Associates PA  Pulmonary Associates PA  Desert Center for Allergy & Chest Diseases  Desert Center for Allergy & Chest Diseases  Apogee Medical Group  Arizona Center For Chest Disease  Arizona Center For Chest Disease  Arizona Center For Chest Disease  Arizona Center For Chest Disease  Arizona Center For Chest Disease  George Gwinn MD  Rem Medical  Desert Center for Allergy & Chest Diseases  Richard S Levinson MD  Alpa Shah MD  Respiratory Services PC  QuestMedicine Ltd  Arizona Lung & Critical Care Specialists  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Lung & Critical Care Specialists  Arizona Lung & Critical Care Specialists  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists  Arizona Lung & Critical Care Specialists  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Pulmonary Specialists Ltd  Arizona Center for Spine Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation  Central Arizona Medical Associates  Banner Physicians Hospital Organization  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary Medicine  Mayo Clinic Pulmonary Medicine Sun City West, ArizonaUpcoming Local Events2012-07-14
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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 Heart Failure?Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. With heart failure, blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body's needs. The chambers of the heart respond by stretching to hold more blood to pump through the body or by becoming more stiff and thickened. This helps to keep the blood moving for a short while, but in time, the heart muscle walls weaken and are unable to pump as strongly. As a result, the kidneys often respond by causing the body to retain fluid (water) and sodium. If fluid builds up in the arms, legs, ankles, feet, lungs or other organs, the body becomes congested, and congestive heart failure is the term used to describe the condition. What Causes Heart Failure?Heart failure is caused b... Other Related Emphysema ArticlesEmergency Contact for Sun City West
Nearby Sun City West Hospitals *Banner Del E Webb Medical Center Banner Boswell Medical Center Arrowhead Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Valley of the Sun Rehabilitation Hospital Banner Thunderbird Medical Center West Valley Hospital Banner Estrella Medical Center John C Lincoln Hospital Deer Valley Maryvale Hospital Medical Center Surgical Specialty Hospital of Arizona Phoenix Baptist Hospital John C Lincoln Hospital North Mountain Kindred Hospital Phoenix Select Specialty Hospital Phoenix St Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center Carl T Hayden VA Medical Center Paradise Valley Hospital Phoenix Indian Medical Center Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center Banner Good Samaritan Rehabilitation Select Specialty Hospital Phoenix Downtown Arizona Heart Hospital Phoenix Children's Hospital Phoenix Memorial Health Care Center Promise Hospital of Phoenix Los Ninos Hospital Youth Development Institute Mayo Clinic Hospital St Luke's Behavioral Health Center St Luke's Medical Center Maricopa Medical Center Arizona State Hospital Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Kindred Hospital Scottsdale Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Select Specialty Hospital Scottsdale Banner Behavioral Health Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Scottsdale Rehabilitation Hospital Tempe St Luke's Hospital Wickenburg Community Hospital Desert Vista Hospital Banner Desert Medical Center Arizona Orthopedic 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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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Congestive Heart Failure
- Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump is inadequate to meet the body's needs. A poor blood supply resulting from congestive heart failure may cause the body's organ systems to fail, leading to a weakened heart muscle and fluid accumulation in the lungs and body tissue. There are many diseases that can impair pumping efficiency and symptoms of congestive heart failure including fatigue, diminished exercise capacity, shortness of breath, and swelling. Treatments include lifestyle modifications, medications, heart transplant, and therapy.
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Pneumonia
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Angina
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Acute Bronchitis
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Chronic Cough
- Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
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Polycythemia (High Red Blood Cell Count)
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a disorder that persistently obstructs bronchial airflow. COPD mainly involves three related conditions, chronic bronchitis, chronic asthma, and emphysema. Symptoms of COPD include chronic cough, shortness of breath, frequent respiratory infections, wheezing, morning headaches, and pulmonary hypertension. Treatment of COPD is focused on the related condition(s).
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Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)
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Marfan Syndrome
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Pulmonary Hypertension
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Chronic Bronchitis
- Chronic bronchitis is a cough that occurs daily with production of sputum that lasts for at least three months, two years in a row. Causes of chronic bronchitis include cigarette smoking, inhaled irritants, and underlying disease processes (such as asthma, or congestive heart failure). Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Treatments include bronchodilators and steroids. Complications of chronic bronchitis include COPD and emphysema.
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Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
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Smoking (How to Quit Smoking)
- Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
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Bronchiectasis
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Smoker's Lung: Pathology Photo Essay
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Heart Failure
- Heart failure is caused by many conditions including coronary artery disease, heart attack, cardiomyopathy, and conditions that overwork the heart. Symptoms of heart failure include congested lungs, fluid and water retention, dizziness, fatigue and weakness, and rapid or irregular heartbeats.
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Chagas Disease
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Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
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Nicotine
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Asthma Complexities
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Lung Anatomy
- The lungs are primarily responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air we breathe and the blood. Eliminating carbon dioxide from the blood is important, because as it builds up in the blood, headaches, drowsiness, coma, and eventually death may occur. The air we breathe in (inhalation) is warmed, humidified, and cleaned by the nose and the lungs.
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Secondhand Smoke
- Secondhand smoke can cause illness and disease in nonsmokers. Some of these conditions include lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, SIDS, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Learn how you can protect yourself and your family from secondhand smoke exposure in the home environment and workplace.
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Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, and Colds
- If you have a COPD such as emphysema, avoiding chronic bronchitis and colds is important to avoid a more severe respiratory infection such as pneumonia. Avoiding cigarette smoking, practice good hygeine, stay away from crowds, and alerting your healthcare provider if you have a sinus infection or cold or cough that becomes worse. Treatment options depend upon the severity of the emphysema, bronchitis, or cold combination.
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Congestive Heart Failure
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Medications
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Procedures & Tests
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