A term referring to lung-related conditions

The wordpulmonaryis used to describe issues pertaining to the lungs.

It is derived from the Latin root wordpulmo, which means lung.

This article looks at pulmonary conditions, their diagnosis, and their treatment.

closeup of a doctor observing a chest radiograph on a tablet

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What Are Some Pulmonary Problems?

There are many conditions that are classified as pulmonary in nature.

They can usually be performed in a clinic setting.

For some tests, you will have your normal breathing measured.

Who Treats Pulmonary Issues?

Summary

In medicine, “pulmonary” refers to conditions of the lungs.

Some common pulmonary conditions include asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and sleep apnea.

Pulmonary conditions are usually diagnosed with pulmonary function tests.

Pulmonary conditions are usually treated by a pulmonologist.

Sugery on the lungs is usually performed by a cardiotoracic surgeon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pulmonary conditions affect the lungs, while cardiac conditions affect the heart.

The termcardiopulmonaryrefers to conditions that affect both the heart and lungs.

Many different conditions can affect the lungs.

Some of them, like acute bronchitis, often resolve on their own.

Others are chronic, meaning long-term.

These usually can’t be cured, but treatments may be available to help manage them.

Pulmonary fibrosis is damage and scarring to tissue surrounding the air sacs in the lungs.

Common symptoms of pulmonary embolism include sudden shortness of breath, dull chest pain, and coughing.

Wheezing, coughing up blood, and loss of consciousness are some other possibilties.

American Lung Association.Lung diseases.

World Health Organization.Chronic respiratory diseases.

John Hopkins Medicine.Pulmonary function tests.

J Am Coll Cardiol.

2017;70(13):1618-1636. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2017.08.012

American College of Physicians.Pulmonary disease.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.What is a cardiothoracic surgeon?

Merck Manual Professional Version.