Pulmonary Conditions

COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable disease that makes it difficult to empty air out of the lungs. This difficulty in emptying air out of the lungs (airflow obstruction) can lead to shortness of breath or feeling tired because you are working harder to breathe. COPD is a term that is used to include chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or a combination of both conditions.

ASTHMA Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways of your lungs. Your airways are the breathing tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. When you have asthma, your airways become swollen. The most common symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and cough. You may have days when you have every symptom and other days you may have no symptoms. When you do have asthma symptoms, you may feel like you are breathing through a straw. You may also hear wheezing (a whistling or squeaking sound) as air tries to move through your narrowed airways. You may also cough, most often at night or early in the morning. Chest pain, chest pressure, or a feeling of tightness in your chest can be other symptoms of asthma.

LUNG CANCER The #1 cause of lung cancer is exposure to tobacco smoke. Your chances increase with the amount you smoke and the number of years you have smoked. The more you smoke or are exposed to smoke from others (second-hand smoke), the greater your chances of developing lung cancer. People who have never smoked may develop lung cancer, but their chance is much less than people who smoke or who used to smoke.

INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE Interstitial lung disease describes a large group of disorders characterized by progressive scarring of the lung tissue. The scarring associated with interstitial lung disease may cause progressive lung stiffness, eventually affecting your ability to breathe and get enough oxygen into your bloodstream. Interstitial lung disease may be broadly categorized into known and unknown causes. Common known causes include autoimmune or rheumatologic diseases, occupational and organic exposures, medications, and radiation.

OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISEASE Occupational lung diseases are caused or made worse by your work environment. They occur from inhaling dust, chemicals, or bacteria and molds at work. It is important to know about these lung diseases because they can be prevented or kept from getting worse. These include occupational asthma, asbestos-related lung disease, silicosis, and coal worker's pneumoconiosis.

PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

To understand pulmonary hypertension (PH), it helps to understand how blood flows throughout your body. While the heart is one organ, it works like two pumps that are connected to one another. There is a left side and a right side of the heart, each with two different jobs.