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Pulmonologist
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
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A pulmonologist treats diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract.
If you have tracheitis, chronic bronchitis, smoker's bronchitis, pleurisy or pneumonia, a pulmonologist will help you.
[ Who is a pulmonologist?
The respiratory system is the airways and lungs. The trachea is a large breathing tube, in children it is wide and elastic. Inflammation of the trachea - tracheitis is common in children. If tracheitis is prolonged, show the child to a pediatric pulmonologist.
The bronchial branches are entangled with a system of vessels and resemble a tree. Diseases of the bronchi are called bronchitis. The lungs look like small sacs that look like bunches of grapes (alveoli). Every day, 15,000 liters of air pass through our lungs. Life is impossible without oxygen, and it is the lungs that supply it to our body and remove carbon dioxide. A pulmonologist determines the nature of diseases of the bronchi and lungs and the tactics of their treatment.
If you experience signs of difficulty breathing, see a doctor immediately.
For example, bronchial asthma has an allergic nature. The list of allergens is very large. Asthma is treated by a pulmonologist together with an allergist.
Lung diseases were previously treated by therapists and surgeons, but in 1986 a separate medical specialty appeared in the USSR, as it became clear that pulmonology is an extensive medical field. At the appointment, the pulmonologist finds out your medical history, bad habits and working conditions, living conditions, sends you for a blood test and an ultrasound of the heart. The joint efforts of the doctor and the patient give excellent results. A good pulmonologist strives to help people, he is attentive to patients, adheres to the rules of medical ethics and constantly replenishes his knowledge, knows physiology perfectly, knows how to communicate with patients, disciplines them.
When should you see a pulmonologist?
A pulmonologist can help people suffering from smoker's cough. Smoker's cough is most pronounced immediately after sleep. If smoker's cough is not treated, pulmonary emphysema occurs. It is accompanied by shortness of breath, a decrease in the volume of inhaled air. If you are bothered by shortness of breath with difficulty exhaling, it may be asthma. Chest tightness and wheezing should also not be ignored - these are the first signs of obstructive bronchitis.
What tests should you take when visiting a pulmonologist?
Examination in case of suspected pulmonary diagnosis may include general blood test and biochemical analysis for protein fractions of blood, prothrombin index, bilirubin, sputum examination for tuberculosis, cytological examination of sputum, blood electrolytes, antibiotic sensitivity test, determination of blood immunoglobulins, PCR diagnostics, general urine analysis. In each case, the scope of examination is determined by a pulmonologist.
What diagnostic methods does a pulmonologist use?
It all starts with collecting anamnesis, listening to the lungs and chest X-ray. Sputum is examined, then an electrocardiogram and spirography may be prescribed, since chest pain and shortness of breath are often signs of heart disease. You may be referred to a cardiologist with such symptoms. Bronchoscopy may be prescribed. The procedure for collecting biological material is usually well tolerated, done under local anesthesia. You will also be referred for an ultrasound of the abdominal organs and thyroid gland. MRI is increasingly used.
What does a pulmonologist do?
If you have a cough, shortness of breath, asthma attacks or snoring, you need to go to a pulmonologist. If the treatment prescribed by the therapist has had an effect, you no longer need to go to any doctor, but it often happens that the listed symptoms can bother a person for months, usually after a cold, flu or spontaneously. A pulmonologist can review the diagnosis made by the therapist and adjust the treatment.
If you have a small child and he/she starts coughing, go to the pediatrician first. He/she can refer you to the children's pulmonology center. There, the child will have an X-ray of the lungs. This is necessary in case of complicated lung diseases or if the child has a congenital pathology of the bronchi or lungs. There, the issue of possible hospitalization, if necessary, is also decided.
Advice from a pulmonologist
How to detect pneumonia?
The pulmonologist will conduct an examination at the appointment. You may need to have a chest X-ray and blood tests. Then you will be prescribed antibiotics. Usually, it gets better within 4 days, but you need to take them for about 10 more days and do not stop under any circumstances! Do not communicate with people with a cold, flu or chickenpox, so as not to suffer from other infections in addition to pneumonia.
How to deal with seasonal allergies?
- During the flowering period of plants, keep the windows of the office and apartment closed while you are there. If you need to ventilate, leave the room. It is best to ventilate after rain.
- Do wet cleaning more often.
- Take a shower and wash your hair twice a day.
- Take a vacation to the sea, the mountains, or another climate zone during the flowering period.
- Antihistamines should only be prescribed by a doctor.
A pulmonologist has all the necessary knowledge to help you if you have been suffering from cough or shortness of breath for a long time - seek help in a timely manner, and the treatment will not be long and expensive.