Pulmonology

Pulmonology studies conditions and diseases that affect the respiratory system, from the lungs that breathe air to the bronchi and trachea, which allow free breathing to occur. Since the lungs and heart are one of the most sensitive organs of the body, respiratory diseases are among the most difficult conditions to deal with. Pulmonologists are involved in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of many diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, structural lung diseases, occupation related lung diseases, neoplastic conditions, such as cancer, infectious diseases affecting the respiratory tract such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis and obstructive sleep apnea. They are in charge of applying a series of medical procedures that treat medical conditions and diseases. They also work in collaboration with branches such as thoracic surgery, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery when necessary.

 

When Do You Need a Pulmonologist Visit?

Chest pains and extreme tiredness, persistent cough, difficulty breathing (dyspnea), coughing up blood, unexplained and unintended weight loss, decreased exercise capacity, and sleep apnea findings can all be symptoms of an underlying issue and deteriorating lung health. A pulmonologist can help you understand what's causing the symptoms and address your problem. In places with high air pollution or for a person with a smoking history, reaching out to a pulmonologist can help them understand the extent of damage and the treatment subsequently.

 

Specializations: How Many Sub Specializations Are There in Pulmonology?

There are various specialities within the scope of the pulmonology department. Pulmonology includes allergic and immunological diseases, occupational diseases and intensive care units.

• Intensive Care Pulmonology: Doctors specialized in this field are responsible for the care and treatment of critically ill patients, including those in intensive care units and those in need of mechanical ventilators.
• Interventional pulmonology
• Doctors in this field use minimally invasive techniques such as bronchoscopy to diagnose and treat conditions.
• Occupational lung disease: This speciality often deals with exposure to asbestos or silica over a long period of time. The damage is usually related to the work performed by the patient. Occupational diseases can occur as a result of chronic inhalation of chemicals or exposure to other forms of exposure at work and are often severe and life-threatening diseases. The main examples are asbestosis, silicosis, berylliosis, and coal workers' pneumoconiosis.
• Pediatric chest diseases: Children may have problems such as asthma and bronchitis, which can become chronic if not diagnosed and treated early. Conditions such as cystic fibrosis have also been diagnosed since birth and need to be treated. This speciality focuses on identifying and treating lung diseases in children.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation: This subspeciality focuses on managing and treating COPD through exercise, mindfulness, and other therapies. It can also be a good option for lung cancers and cystic fibrosis.
• Pulmonary oncology: Cysts, tumors and cancers are life-threatening diseases that require long-term care and treatment. Physicians are experienced and specialized in pulmonary oncology work to reduce mortality and morbidity in cancer patients.
• Pulmonary vascular disease: The diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary embolism are evaluated within the scope of pulmonary vascular diseases.
• Allergy and immunology: Some pulmonologists play a role in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic and immunological conditions, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing, urticaria, anaphylaxis.
• Lung Transplantation: Pulmonologists are important in lung transplant planning and post-transplant care.
• Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea syndrome is a chronic and life-threatening disease that results in difficulty breathing during sleep, respiratory arrest and normalization with respiratory effort.The treatment of patients who are evaluated in sleep laboratories under the control of a pulmonologist is also carried out in the pulmonology department.
• Neuromuscular disorders: Pulmonologists can play a role in diagnosing and treating several diseases that can be expressed as respiratory muscle failure.

A wide variety of sub specialties serving under the branch of pulmonology require a special approach for each patient and disease.

 

Why Do You Need a Pulmonologist Visit?

A pulmonologist can treat many conditions. They play a role in recognizing respiratory diseases, relieving symptoms and taking preventive measures. Some symptoms such as unintentional and sudden weight loss, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, severe and persistent chest pain are known as red flags and require a specialist doctor's examination. The conditions that require pulmonologist examination and further examinations can be summarized as follows.

• Cough that does not go away or gets worse over time (chronic cough)
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Chest pain or a feeling of pressure in the chest grunt
• Major sleep apnea symptoms, such as severe snoring at night and cessation of breathing
• Extreme tiredness or dizziness
• Coughing up blood or mucus
• Recurrent asthma or bronchitis attacks

If a respiratory illness has already been diagnosed, scheduled appointments for the management of the disease and effective implementation of the treatment plan are also frequent in the pulmonology department.

Visiting the Pulmonologist as a Preventive Measure

If you have a history of lung problems or are at high risk of developing lung diseases, it's usually a good idea to see a pulmonologist or a lung specialist as a preventative measure. This is especially important if you smoke or have been exposed to secondhand smoke because smoking is a significant risk factor for a variety of lung conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and emphysema.

A pulmonologist can assess your risk of developing lung diseases and make recommendations on how to reduce your risk. For example, they may recommend quitting smoking, taking necessary precautions to prevent occupational diseases that require chemical respiration, avoiding exposure to lung and respiratory irritants, and getting vaccinated against respiratory infections. They can make necessary referrals in cases that require chronic and long-term care and treatment planning such as cancer and cystic fibrosis. They may also recommend testing and, if necessary, treatment for conditions that may be allergic or immunological, such as asthma, COPD, and chronic bronchitis. Pulmonologists also have duties such as administering vaccines and drugs developed against various respiratory diseases, especially COVID-19, and observing the results.

Visiting a pulmonologist for preventive care can help you maintain healthy lungs and detect early signs of a lung problem, especially cancer, before it becomes more serious. This may be especially important for people at higher risk of developing lung diseases because of their age, occupation, or other factors.

 

Getting Better with Pulmonology: What Treatments and Medications Does a Pulmonologist Recommend?

There are a number of treatments a pulmonologist can recommend to treat lung and respiratory diseases using medical and surgical techniques. Diagnostic and treatment procedures that are frequently used in the pulmonology department can be listed as follows.

• Bronchoscopy: It is a very common and effective diagnosis and treatment method for imaging the lungs and airway tract.
• EBUS (Endobronchial ultrasound): It is a minimally invasive method that can be used in the diagnosis and follow-up of lung cancer, lymph node involvement and infections. Images are obtained through the bronchi and with the help of ultrasound waves and it is a very effective procedure.
• Biopsy: It is a diagnostic method that involves examining a small sample of tissue from the lungs or other parts of the respiratory tract.
• Thoracentesis and Pleural effusion drainage: It is the drainage of the fluid accumulated between the pleura, a membrane that surrounds the lungs, and the lung. It is a procedure that requires expertise and precision and can lead to fatal complications.
• Inhalation therapy: Inhalers and nebulizers can be used to deliver certain medications directly to the lungs to relieve breathing or other symptoms.
• Lung transplant: Surgical replacement of a diseased lung with a healthy donor lung. Although it is a long-term and serious procedure, it is not very rare.
• Medication: In pulmonology, chemotherapy is a drug-based or radiation-based approach to cancer treatment and kills cancer cells that affect the lung at the tissue level. Treatment of lung cancer is planned with the cooperation of the oncology and pulmonology branches. Pulmonologists also have the authority to prescribe a variety of medications such as bronchodilators, corticosteroids, mucolytics, antibiotics, various vaccines, and immunosuppressants. Inhaled oxygen therapy is one of the most commonly used treatment approaches in pulmonology. Smoking cessation treatments, which may include some drug combinations, are also among the fields of interest of the pulmonary diseases branch.

 

For Your Every Pulmonology Need

In today's world, where polluted air and the stress of business life come with it, there may be fundamental problems that you may overlook unintentionally. In the pulmonology departments in Türkiye, you can reach the diagnosis and treatment planning of chronic diseases such as asthma, COPD, cancer and sleep problems, as well as occupational diseases, and the care you deserve in the hands of experienced professionals. Türkiye is one of the best options in cases such as lung transplantation that require exceptional care, an expert team and health institutions equipped with advanced technology. As an institution affiliated with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Türkiye, USHAŞ, as part of its initiatives to assist medical tourism, operates under the name of HealthTürkiye service in many health fields, including Pulmonology, with its expert staff and health institutions with advanced technology. It aims to bring together private and public studies on health tourism and to guide guests from abroad to receive health services.