Understanding the Lungs Doctor's Role Here

Pulmonology is one of the medical sciences that focuses on dealing with health problems in the respiratory system, such as the lungs, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. Specialists who study pulmonology are known as pulmonologists (pulmonologists). To become a lung specialist, a doctor must undergo a residency of approximately 7 semesters. After completing the residency period, a lung doctor can work independently by opening a private practice or becoming part of a team of doctors at the hospital.

Lung Doctor Work Field

Basically, the main task of a lung doctor is to diagnose and determine the right type of treatment for various problems related to the respiratory system, especially the lower respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchus, and lungs. To simplify the process of handling patients, the field of pulmonology is divided into several divisions, namely:

• Division of pulmonology intervention and respiratory emergencies

A pulmonology division that is specialized in diagnosing and providing non-surgical medical procedures to treat problems in the respiratory tract, such as pleural effusion, coughing up blood, stopping breathing, obstruction in the lower airway due to foreign bodies, tumors, and pneumothorax.

• Asthma and COPD Division

In this division, lung specialists focus on treating patients who experience narrowing of the respiratory tract. Diseases that usually cause narrowing of the respiratory tract are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

• Division of lung and work environment

This lung specialist works specifically to deal with lung disease due to too often being exposed to harmful particles when working outdoors. For example asbestos fibers and silica dust, which causes asbestosis and silicosis.

• Lung transplantation division

Special pulmonology division evaluates the patient's condition before or after lung transplantation. This is to anticipate organ rejection reactions that can occur after lung transplantation.

• Infection division

This division is more focused on handling lower respiratory tract disorders caused by viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections. Diseases that can be caused by this infection include pulmonary TB, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

• Thoracic oncology division

The thoracic oncology division specializes in managing patients with tumors and cancers in the lower respiratory tract. Usually, this division will provide treatment using surgical methods or surgery and chemotherapy. In conducting surgery, the thoracic oncology division does not work alone but becomes part of a team of doctors at the hospital.

In addition to the pulmonology division above, there are also other divisions that can help cure patients, one of which is the clinical immunology and pulmonary physiology division. This division is more focused in dealing with lower respiratory tract problems including the lungs, which are caused by autoimmune disorders. While the pulmonary physiology division plays a role in evaluating pulmonary function, and provides therapeutic direction to improve impaired lung function.

Ability a Pediatrician Must Have

Medical skills that must be mastered by a lung doctor include:

• Conduct medical interviews and general physical examinations, especially chest inspection, chest palpation, chest percussion, and chest auscultation.
• Perform additional checks. such as measuring the rate of air blowing (spirometry) and taking pleural fluid in the lungs (pleural puncture).
• Interpreting the results of supporting examinations such as laboratory tests, and lung scanning tests including chest X-ray, CT-scan, and MRI of the chest cavity.
• Perform procedures for bronchial provocation tests, pulmonary function tests, bronxcopy, oximetry tests, thoracocentesis, sleep studies related to respiratory disorders, biopsy, lobectomy, airway management and tracheostomy.
• Providing treatment and medical measures on the airways, in the form of needle decompression, facilitation of artificial breathing, installation of Water Seal Drainage (WSD), inhalation and nebulalization therapy, and oxygen therapy.

List of Diseases that Lung Doctors Can Manage

Diseases and conditions that can be treated by lung doctors, including:

• Asthma.
• Pulmonary infections, including pneumonia, bronchitis and lung abscesses.
• Bronchiectasis.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Pulmonary embolism.
• Pulmonary tuberculosis with or without complications.
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
• Aspiration pneumonia.
• Pleural effusion.
• Atelectasis.
• Pneumothorax.
• Pulmonary edema.
• Cystic fibrosis.
• Sleep apnea.
• Pulmonary emphysema.
• Interstitial lung disease.
• Lung cancer.
• Failure to breath.

If you experience symptoms such as a severe cough that does not go away, shortness of breath, pain in the chest especially when inhaling or exhaling, coughing up blood, and weight loss for no apparent reason, immediately consult a pulmonary doctor. The lung doctor will carry out a series of additional physical and supportive examinations to ascertain the cause of the symptoms and determine the diagnosis of the disease.

Things You Need To Prepare Before Meeting A Lung Doctor

Before meeting with a lung doctor, it's a good idea to pay attention and prepare the following things, to make it easier for a lung specialist to diagnose and determine the treatment that suits your needs:

• Bring all the results of medical examinations that you have lived.
• Deliver various complaints and symptoms that you feel specifically to the lung doctor, including since when the complaint was felt and what factors ballast or trigger the appearance of the complaint.
• Tell your doctor about your history, medications that are being consumed, and allergies you have.
• Ask your family or friends to accompany you when you meet with a lung doctor.

In addition to the above, if you have insurance, prepare the required documents or documents before meeting with a lung doctor, so that the costs of consultation and examination can be covered by insurance, according to the type of protection.