COPD & Emphysema
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) makes it hard for you to breathe. The two main types are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The main cause of COPD is long-term exposure to substances that irritate and damage the lungs. This is usually cigarette smoke. Air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust particles can also cause it.
At first, COPD may cause no symptoms or only mild symptoms. As the disease gets worse, symptoms often become more severe. They include:
A cough that produces a lot of mucus
Shortness of breath, especially with physical activity
Wheezing
Chest tightness
Here at LPA, we use lung function tests, imaging tests, and blood tests to diagnose COPD. While there is no cure, there are a number of treatment options that may relieve symptoms.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the inside of your airways to swell. This makes them very sensitive, and may lead to strong reactions to allergens and irritants. This makes breathing much more difficult.
Symptoms of asthma include:
Wheezing
Coughing, especially early in the morning or at night
Chest tightness
Shortness of breath
Asthma is a very common disease and can be treated quite effectively. We’re happy to walk you through your options and get you breathing easy again.
Interstitial Fibrosis
Interstitial lung disease is the name for a large group of diseases that inflame or scar the lungs. The inflammation and scarring make it hard to get enough oxygen. The scarring is called pulmonary fibrosis.
There are many causes of Interstitial Fibrosis including:
Black lung disease among coal miners, from inhaling coal dust
Farmer's lung, from inhaling farm dust
Asbestosis, from inhaling asbestos fibers
Siderosis, from inhaling iron from mines or welding fumes
Silicosis, from inhaling silica dust
Other causes include autoimmune diseases or occupational exposures to molds, gases, or fumes. No matter the cause, LPA can tailor your treatment plan to your specific needs.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes your breathing to stop or get very shallow while sleeping. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to over a minute. These apneas recur repeatedly throughout the night making your sleep quality poor and often times causing a decrease in your oxygen levels.
The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. It causes your airway to collapse or become blocked during sleep. Normal breathing starts again with a snort or choking sound. People with sleep apnea often snore loudly. However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.
You are more at risk for sleep apnea if you are overweight, male, or have a family history. However, sleep apnea is clearly not limited to this group, and almost anyone can have it. Children with enlarged tonsils or adenoids may also be at risk.
At LPA, we take a comprehensive approach to treating sleep apnea, basing our diagnosis on medical and family histories, a physical exam, and sleep study results.
Pleural Effusions
Your pleura is a large, thin sheet of tissue that wraps around the outside of your lungs and lines the inside of your chest cavity. Between the layers of the pleura is a very thin space which is normally filled with a small amount of fluid. The fluid helps the two layers of the pleura glide smoothly past each other as your lungs breathe air in and out.
A pleural effusion is when that very thin space is filled with too much fluid. That fluid presses in on the lungs, making it hard to breathe.
Although pleural effusions have no symptoms at first, as the effusion progresses you may develop:
Shortness of breath
Chest pain, especially when breathing in deeply
Fever
Cough
There are a number of treatment options available for pleural effusions that can all help improve your quality of life. We will be happy to walk you through at your appointment.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, and is usually caused by cigarette smoke. The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. Radon exposure, air pollution, radiation, and asbestos exposure may also increase your risk.
Common symptoms of lung cancer include:
A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time
Constant chest pain
Coughing up blood
Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness
Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis
We work closely as a team with surgeons and oncologists to ensure that you receive the most modern and optimal treatment available.
