Pulmonary Care, What It Is And How It Helps You Recover
February 28, 2020 / /
Pulmonary Care: What Is Treated?
- asthma
- bronchiectasis, a condition that involves inflammation and excess mucus in the lungs
- bronchitis, which happens when you have inflamed lower airways
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which causes an airflow blockage
- emphysema, which happens when the alveoli in your lungs are damaged
- interstitial lung diseases, which affect the space and tissue within the lung
- occupational lung diseases, which can occur due to the inhalation of dusts, chemicals, or proteins
- obstructive sleep apnea, which causes your breathing to slow or stop entirely when you’re sleeping
Types Of Therapies Used
Pulmonologists use a variety of special therapies which can include the following modalities:
- CT scan to get detailed images of the bones, muscles, fat organs, and blood vessels in your chest
- chest fluoroscopy, an X-ray test to see how well your lungs are functioning
- chest ultrasound to examine the organs and other chest structures
- pleural biopsy to remove a small tissue sample from the pleura, which is the membrane that surrounds your lungs
- pulmonary function test, a breathing test to see how well your lungs are working
- pulse oximetry test to determine the oxygen saturation level in your blood
- thoracentesis to remove and sample fluid from around your lungs
- chest tube to remove air or fluid from around your lungs
- bronchoscopy to examine your airway and determine if you have any issues in your trachea, lower airways, throat, or larynx
- sleep study to help diagnose sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea
In the case of more serious lung diseases and conditions, a pulmonologist may refer the patient to a chest surgeon for specific procedures. These can include such procedures as a lobectomy to remove a portion of a diseased lung or a lung transplant.
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