4 Questions to Ask Your Pulmonary Doctor

There are several different types of pulmonary diseases with a wide range of potential causes. With that in mind, some common pulmonary diseases and their causes include the following:

• Asthma: no known cause, but some combination of genetics, environmental factors, allergies, and respiratory infections seem to contribute to the disease.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): the leading cause of COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is smoking, but other causes include genetics and long-term exposure to lung irritants.
• Cystic fibrosis: is caused by a genetic mutation in a particular gene known as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) that controls the flow of salt and fluid in and out of your body’s cells.
• Interstitial lung disease (ILD): ILD is believed to be caused by an injury to the lungs, triggering an abnormal healing response, although long-term exposure to lung irritants can also cause ILD.
• Lung cancer: the leading cause of lung cancer is smoking, but second-hand smoke and other lung irritants can also cause lung cancer.
• Pleural effusion: various medical conditions cause pleural effusion, including cirrhosis, heart failure, pulmonary embolism, cancer, and kidney disease.
• Pneumonia: caused by exposure to various germs that multiply and invade the lungs, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, causing inflammation in the lungs’ air sacs.
• Pulmonary edema: causes of pulmonary edema include heart conditions leading to fluid buildup in the lungs, as well as blood clots in the lungs, adverse drug reaction or overdose, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and other causes.
• Pulmonary embolism: the most common cause of pulmonary embolism is blood clots from your legs, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
• Pulmonary hypertension: there are several different causes of pulmonary hypertension, including blood clot disorders, COPD, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), heart disease, lupus, cirrhosis, genetic mutations, and other medical conditions.
• Tuberculosis: caused by exposure to the bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis through the respiratory droplets of an infected individual when they cough or sneeze.

While some pulmonary diseases are curable, such as tuberculosis, most pulmonary diseases have no cure. That said, almost every pulmonary disease is treatable, with some being highly treatable, such as asthma or pulmonary embolism.

Keeping your lungs healthy is essential for living a long, healthy, and active life! As such, it is a good idea to seek a pulmonologist’s knowledge and expertise to help keep your lungs healthy. With that in mind, some good questions to ask a pulmonologist for keeping your lungs healthy are as follows:

• What symptoms of the pulmonary disease should I look out for?
• What risk factors and lifestyle choices increase the risk of pulmonary disease?
• What treatment options are available to improve my lung condition or symptoms?
• What lifestyle modifications can I make to help my condition or symptoms?
• What are the best exercises to keep my lungs healthy given my condition or physical fitness?
• Can I still travel with my condition or symptoms?
• What support resources are available for me?
• How can I prevent symptom flare-ups?

At your first pulmonary appointment at Dr. Luis J. Mesa, MD, there are a few things that you can expect to occur. First, one of our medical staff will either ask you some questions or provide you with a questionnaire to fill out about your symptoms. Dr. Mesa or another member of our team will also conduct a physical exam.

Depending on what Dr. Mesa finds during the physical exam, you may also require some tests so that Dr. Mesa can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the most appropriate treatment. Some possible tests could include blood work, a chest X-ray, computerized tomography (CT) scan, bronchoscopy, or a spirometry test.

For more information about what to expect at a pulmonary appointment at Dr. Luis J. Mesa, MD, or to make an appointment with us, we welcome you to call us or make an appointment on our website. We serve patients from Hallandale Beach FL, Aventura FL, Hollywood FL, Golden Glades FL, Miramar FL, Hialeah FL, Fort Lauderdale FL, and BEYOND.