What is a Pulmonologist?

A pulmonologist is a doctor who specializes in lung conditions. A pulmonologist diagnoses and treats diseases of the respiratory system. You might hear these healthcare providers called lung doctors, lung specialists or chest doctors.

What conditions do pulmonologists treat?

Pulmonologists treat conditions of the respiratory system, especially of the lungs. These conditions can be caused by things like inflammation, tissue overgrowth and infections. Many of these illnesses may require long-term, even lifelong, treatment plans. Your pulmonologist will work with your primary care doctor, and possibly other specialists, on treatment plans.

Some illnesses treated or managed by pulmonologists include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Astama
  • Allergic Respiratory Diseases
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Critical Care
  • Bronchoscopy

Sleep Apnea:

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.

The main types of sleep apnea are:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax and block the flow of air into the lungs.

Central sleep apnea (CSA), which occurs when the brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.

Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, also known as complex sleep apnea, which happens when someone has OSA — diagnosed with a sleep study — that converts to CSA when receiving therapy for OSA.

Symptoms:

  • Loud snoring.
  • Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person.
  • Gasping for air during sleep.
  • Awakening with a dry mouth.
  • Morning headache.
  • Difficulty staying asleep, known as insomnia.
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness, known as hypersomnia.
  • Difficulty paying attention while awake.
  • Irritability.