"Pulmonary Medicine is constantly evolving with new research and technology, which makes it an exciting area to work in. Being Board certified helps me keep up with it and making a meaningful difference in the lives of my patients by helping them breathe easier and live healthier lives" - Dr. Shantha

What does a Pulmonologist do?

A Pulmonologist is a doctor who specializes in treating diseases or conditions relating to the lungs or breathing. A Pulmonologist is a specialist who diagnoses and treats diseases of the respiratory system and is an expert in the lungs. They are also called lung doctors, lung specialists, or chest doctors.

How does one become a Pulmonologist.

To become a Pulmonologist, you must complete a four-year medical school program. You must then complete a three-year training program, or residency, in Internal Medicine. Pulmonary medicine is a subspecialty of internal medicine; after your residency, you do two years of a fellowship in pulmonary disease. You can become board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Who is a Board Certified Physician?

To be board certified, physicians are required to take an all-day exam every 10 years to prove mastery of a particular medical specialty. You don’t have to be board certified to practice medicine, but board certification ensures a higher standard of care, because the doctor demonstrates that they have met the gold standard of accreditation in that particular specialty.

When do you see a Pulmonologist:

Breathing is such a natural phenomenon that we rarely pay attention to the ease with which we inhale and exhale until we develop a problem. The smallest task becomes difficult to do if we can't breathe freely.

Some symptoms that indicate lung disorders are :

A cough that doesn’t improve over time (chronic cough).
Shortness of breath (dyspnea).
Chest pain or tightness.
Wheezing.
Sleep apnea symptoms, like extreme tiredness or loud snoring.
Dizziness.

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Asthma (bronchial asthma)

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Bronchiectasis

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Chronic lung infection

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Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases

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Collagen vascular associated lung disease

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Cystic fibrosis

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Environmental and occupational lung disorders

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Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)

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Immunologic and allergic lung disease

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Pleural diseases

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Pneumonia and acute lung infections

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Pneumothorax

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Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis

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Pulmonary embolism

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Pulmonary hypertension

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Shortness of breath