Emphysema Center - Ventura, CA
Ventura 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 Ventura * Ventura Medical Group  Ventura Medical Group  Ventura Medical Group  Ventura Medical Group  West Coast Pulmonary Critical Care Physicians  West Coast Pulmonary Critical Care Physicians  West Coast Pulmonary Critical Care Physicians  Ventura County Pulmonary Medical Group  Ventura County Pulmonary Medical Group  Ventura County Pulmonary Medical Group  Mark L Starr MD  Jacob & Henein Inc  Ronald Popper MD  Baker & Gonzalez MDs  Paul R Block MD A Medical Corp  Baker & Gonzalez MDs  Atul Aggarwal MD  Jeffrey C Fried MD  Sansum Clinic Pulmonary  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Consultants  Pulmonary Critical Care Associates Inc  Vijay Kumar MD Medical Corporation  West Valley Pulmonary Medical Group  West Valley Pulmonary Medical Group  Affiliates In Medical Specialties West Hills  Valencia Pulmonary Medical Group  Valencia Pulmonary Medical Group  Valley Pulmonary Associates  Northridge Facial Plastic Surgery  San Fernando Pulmonary Medical Group  San Fernando Pulmonary Medical Group  San Fernando Pulmonary Medical Group  San Fernando Pulmonary Medical Group  Robert F Robertson MD  Randolph H Noble MD  Patrick Walsh MD  Garbis Kassabian  M Reza Nahed MD  Robert Thompson MD  Christopher D Zito MD  Santa Monica Bay Physicians  Santa Monica Bay Physicians  Olive View Medical Center  Hermilito L Villar MD  Respiratory Consultants of SantaMonica  Respiratory Consultants of SantaMonica  Respiratory Consultants of SantaMonica  Respiratory Consultants of SantaMonica  Respiratory Consultants of SantaMonica  Sleep Center  Gary Gibbon MD  Wenchao Wu MD  Alan Szeftel MD  Mid-Valley Pulmonary Medical  Mid-Valley Pulmonary Medical  West Side Primary Care  Mid-Valley Pulmonary Medical  Susan Sprau MD  Mid-Valley Pulmonary Medical  Gerald Markovitz MD Inc  Robert Shpiner & Michael S Levine MDs  Robert Shpiner & Michael S Levine MDs  UCLA Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine  Abrahamian Medical Center  Glen Wool MD Warren Roston MD Syed Tirmizi MD  Robert F Meth MD  S K Mostafavi MD  Glen Wool MD Warren Roston MD Syed Tirmizi MD  Rahnana Sachs MD  Glen Wool MD Warren Roston MD Syed Tirmizi MD  Sheldon Reiss MD  Best Healthcare  Gordon Miller & Schroeder MDs  Gordon Miller & Schroeder MDs  Ralph Potkin MD  Synergy Hematology Oncology Medical Associates Inc  Cedars-Sinai Pulmonology  Western Pulmonary Associates Medical Group  Houston & Muro MDs  Western Pulmonary Associates Medical Group  David M Kelley MD  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Pulmonology  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Pulmonology  Houston & Muro MDs  Western Pulmonary Associates Medical Group  Wachtel Wolfe & Artal MDs  Y Kristy Kim MD  Corday Medical Group  Wachtel Wolfe & Artal MDs  Wachtel Wolfe & Artal MDs  Theresa C Henderson MD  Amanuel Sima MD  M. Ali Ansari, M.D., INC  David Defren MD  Stewart Lonky & Paryus Patel MDs  Stewart Lonky & Paryus Patel MDs Ventura, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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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 Ventura
Nearby Ventura Hospitals *Aurora Vista Del Mar Hospital Community Memorial Hospital Ventura County Medical Center St John's Regional Medical Center Ojai Valley Community Hospital St John's Pleasant Valley Hospital Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center Cottage Rehabilitation Institute Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Simi Valley 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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