Pulmonology

Overview

Pulmonology is an area of medicine that focuses on the health of the respiratory system. Pulmonologists treat everything from asthma to tuberculosis.

What is the respiratory system?

The respiratory system includes the organs that help you breathe. The three major parts of this system are the airway, the lungs, and the respiratory muscles.

The airway includes the:

• nose
• mouth
• pharynx
• larynx
• trachea
• bronchi
• bronchioles
• alveoli

You use several muscles during respiration. The most notable is the diaphragm. The other muscles are categorized in groups, including:

• intercostal muscles, which help with inhalation
• accessory muscles, which help with inhalation but don’t play a primary role
• exhalation muscles, which help with forceful or active exhalation

What is a pulmonologist?

These specialists diagnose and treat conditions that affect the respiratory system in men and women, as well as children. Pulmonologists have expertise in the following types of respiratory disorders:

• infectious
• structural
• inflammatory
• neoplastic, which means having to do with a tumor
• autoimmune

In some instances, this extends to the cardiovascular system. Certain conditions, such as pulmonary vascular disease, can first affect the respiratory system but go on to affect other organs in the body.

A pulmonologist may work in their own office or as part of a multidisciplinary practice. They can also work in hospital settings, particularly in intensive care units.

What is pulmonology?

Pulmonology is a field of medicine that focuses specifically on diagnosing and treating disorders of the respiratory system.

Subspecialties of pulmonology include:

• interstitial lung disease, which focuses on lung diseases marked by persistent inflammation and scarring
• interventional pulmonology, which employs multidisciplinary care to treat airway disorders, lung cancer, and pleural diseases
• lung transplantation, management before and after surgery
• neuromuscular disease, which refers to conditions that occur due to respiratory muscle failure
• obstructive lung disease, which involves airway narrowing or obstruction
• sleep-disordered breathing