Pulmonology

From chronic lung conditions to rare respiratory diseases, pulmonary medicine is a medical field that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of all kinds of breathing-related health issues. With advances in technology, research, and treatments, doctors specializing in the practice are now able to help patients with a wide array of symptoms and conditions. 

Cough

A cough is a sudden, often repetitive, spasm of the muscles in your chest and throat. It is usually preceded by a deep breath in order to clear the lungs of mucus or foreign particles. A cough can be either dry or productive. A productive cough brings up phlegm or mucus from the lungs. A dry cough does not bring up any phlegm or mucus.

There are many different causes of coughing, including:

  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Bronchitis
  • Colds and flu
  • GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
  • Pneumonia
  • Smoking

Bronchial Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. In people with asthma, the airways are always inflamed. They can become even more irritated and swollen during an asthma attack. This can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing, and wheezing.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by any number of things, including allergies, cold air, exercise, or smoke. During an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways tighten and the airways swell.

Bronchial asthma is a type of asthma that specifically affects the bronchi, which are the large airways that carry oxygen from the trachea (windpipe) to the lungs. People with bronchial asthma typically have episodes of wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing that come and go throughout their lives.

COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. The main cause of COPD is smoking, but other factors such as environmental pollution and genetics can also play a role. Symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, wheezing, and persistent cough. COPD is a leading cause of death in the United States, but the good news is that it is preventable and treatable. If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your lungs. If you have COPD, there are treatments available that can help improve your quality of life.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a chronic lung infection that can cause serious illness or death. It is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body such as the brain, kidneys, and spine.

Tuberculosis is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. People with latent TB infection do not have symptoms and cannot spread the disease to others. However, they can develop active TB disease if their immune system becomes weakened.

People with active TB disease may have symptoms such as a productive cough, weight loss, fever, night sweats, and chest pain. They may also feel tired all the time and have difficulty breathing. If left untreated, tuberculosis can be fatal.

The best way to prevent tuberculosis is to get vaccinated against it. The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is available for people who are at high risk for developing the disease, such as health care workers and people who live in areas where tuberculosis is common.

Interstitial Lung Disease

ILD (Interstitial Lung Disease) is a type of lung disease that can cause serious breathing problems. It can be caused by a variety of things, including infections, allergies, and exposure to certain chemicals or substances. Treatment for ILD often includes medication, oxygen therapy, and, in some cases, surgery.

Sleep Apnoea

Sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder characterised by pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep. Each pause can last for several seconds to minutes, and they may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again with a gasp or a snort.

Sleep apnoea is often diagnosed with an overnight sleep study. When you have sleep apnoea, you may not remember waking up at night, but you can feel very tired during the day. 

There are two types of sleep apnoea:

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA): The more common type, it occurs when your throat muscles intermittently relax and block your airway during sleep.

Central sleep apnoea: This less common type occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.

Certain factors increase your risk of developing sleep apnoea, including being overweight, having large tonsils or a small jawbone, smoking, drinking alcohol before bedtime and taking certain sedatives or tranquilisers. Sleep apnoea can also run in families.

Bronchoscopy

A bronchoscopy is a medical procedure during which a doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube called a bronchoscope into the patient’s airway. This allows the doctor to examine the airway and take samples of tissue or fluid.

Bronchoscopies are performed in order to diagnose and treat certain lung conditions. They may also be used to determine the cause of unexplained coughing or shortness of breath. In some cases, a bronchoscopy may be used to remove an object that is blocking the airway, such as a foreign body or mucus plug.

The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia, which means that the patient will be asleep during the procedure. A local anesthetic may also be used in some cases. The doctor will insert the bronchoscope through the patient’s nose or mouth and then down into the windpipe (trachea). The scope will then be passed through the branches of the lungs (bronchi) until it reaches the desired location.

During the procedure, the doctor may take samples of tissue or fluid for testing. He or she may also inject medication into the airway to open it up (dilate it) so that it can be examined more easily. In some cases, a stent (small metal tube) may be placed in the airway to keep it open.

After the procedure, the patient will be monitored closely for any complications.

Uses of bronchoscopy

There are many uses for bronchoscopy, including:

    1. diagnosing lung conditions such as cancer, infection, or inflammation
    2. assessing the severity of a lung condition
    3. obtaining biopsies or other samples from the lungs
    4. treating certain lung conditions, such as removing an obstruction or delivering medication directly to the lungs

Bronchoscopy can be used to diagnose a wide variety of lung conditions. It is often the best way to obtain tissue samples for diagnosis, and can also be used to assess the severity of a lung condition. In some cases, bronchoscopy can also be used to treat certain lung conditions.