What is PULMONOLOGY?

Pulmonology is the internal medicine speciality field concerned with the study, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disorders related to the respiratory tract. This involves organs like the lungs, windpipe, throat, bronchi, voice box etc.

Doctors who specialise in Pulmonology are called Pulmonologists. They are required to complete a 2 years master’s degree in Pulmonology after completing MBBS. 

What does a pulmonologist do?

A doctor who specialises on lung issues is called a pulmonologist. A pulmonologist recognizes and manages respiratory illnesses. These medical professionals may be referred to as chest doctors, lung doctors, or lung specialists. A pulmonologist is trained to identify and manage respiratory illnesses. They may be experts in a particular field, such as critical care, asthma, or sleep medicine. A pulmonologist with a focus on treating the elderly or children may also practice.

Medicinal Pulmonology: 

Like any other medical field, Pulmonology also provides medicinal treatment for most of the concerned diseases. Medicinal pulmonology does not involve any form of surgery or surgical procedures during the treatment.

Medicines can be used to provide relief in general pulmonological cases like irritated Asthma, viral coughs, infections and flu. 

Interventional Pulmonology:

Diagnosing diseases in the organs of the pulmonary tract is not very easy since these are internal organs. So, if a doctor doubts that any organ might be affected, they may prescribe Interventional Pulmonological procedures to be carried out.

Interventional Pulmonology involves various procedures. These procedures are essentially carried out to extract samples from the internal organs. These samples are then sent for further tests to determine the presence or absence of any disease-carrying agents. Based on these reports, the doctor then proceeds to diagnose (any) disease, determine its stage, intensity, damage caused etc.

Some common Interventional Pulmonological procedures are:

• Endoscopic Lung Volume Reduction (ELVR)
• Bronchoscopy.
• Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)
• Bronchial Thermoplasty (BT)
• Radial EBUS and cryo-biopsy.
• Dilatation/stenting of airways via flexible and rigid bronchoscopy.

Common Pulmonological Diseases:

Asthma: Asthma is one of the most common pulmonological diseases worldwide. The airways of an asthmatic patient become narrow and often swell, producing extra amounts of mucus. It can lead to inflammation, irritation and difficulty in breathing. 

Acute Bronchitis: Inflammation in the bronchial tubes is known as Bronchitis. This can cause cough, shortness of breath and production of thick mucus.

Lung Infection: Another common disease on the list is lung infection. This can be caused due to changing weather conditions, bacteria, viruses etc.

Lung Cancer: Lung Cancer is one of the most severe diseases in Pulmonology. Cancerous cells develop in parts of the lung and multiply rapidly. This leads to severe cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, thick mucus etc. Lung cancer can be developed by consumption of tobacco and alcohol, smoking, prolonged Asthma or other lung diseases, severe contact with pollution etc. 

How to prepare?

Detailed questions regarding your medical history and the history of your immediate family will be asked of you, so be prepared. In addition to your smoking history, if you've recently gained weight or lost weight, and dates of significant illnesses or surgeries, you might be questioned about them.

What to expect?

You should be prepared to fill out a medical history form and have a physical examination if it's your first time seeing a pulmonologist. You can discuss the circumstances surrounding your visit and elaborate on your symptoms with your healthcare professional during this time. For information like how long your symptoms have been present and to keep track of any questions you want your healthcare practitioner to address, it may be useful to arrive prepared with paper and a pen.

To aid with diagnosis and therapy, your healthcare professional could request a few tests. These might consist of:

• Analysis of the blood.
• Imaging procedures such as computed tomography (CT) scans or chest X-rays.
• Tests of pulmonary function.
• Spirometry.
• Bronchoscopy.
• Studies relating to sleep. 

When to visit a pulmonologist?

Not all patients with respiratory issues require a visit to a pulmonologist. However, you might require treatment from a pulmonologist if you have a chest injury, are coughing up blood or colored sputum, have complications from surgery that affect your lungs and ability to breathe, need to be put on a ventilator, or have daily prescriptions for oxygen.

You might need to see a pulmonologist if you experience symptoms like unexplained persistent coughing or wheezing, ongoing chest pain during inhalation or expiration, bloody or pink sputum, shortness of breath, or coughing up a lot of mucus. In order to find out if you have sleep apnea, you might also need to consult a pulmonologist if you have trouble falling asleep, wake up frequently during the night, have a persistent dry mouth, or snore loudly.

Most patients are referred to a pulmonologist by their regular care physician, when they are treated in an emergency room, or while they are in the hospital.