Pulmonary/Respiratory Diseases

 According to the American Lung Association, each year 335,000 Americans die of lung disease.  It is the number three killer in America and is responsible for one out of every seven deaths.  It is the number one killer among babies younger than one year. Respiratory or lung diseases include asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and many others.

More than 30 million Americans are living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.  In the U.S. each year Americans suffer from more than one billion colds. 

The study of respiratory disease is known as pulmonology.  A pulmonologist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory and lung diseases. 

There are many different types of tests used to diagnose respiratory diseases.  Some of these include: Chest x-ray, pulmonary function test, CT Scan, Bronchoscopy, biopsy, ventilation perfusion scan, and ultra sound to name a few.

Depending on the respiratory disease, some treatments include the administration of medications like antibiotics, steroids and breathing treatment drugs.  Surgery may be indicated in certain types of cancers of the lung or in cases where a lung transplantation is necessary.