Asthma is a chronic disease marked by difficulty with breathing. Asthma causes a narrowing of the airways, resulting in wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease caused by damage to the lungs over a long period of time, usually due to smoking. Symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath, and because it takes many years to see symptoms, COPD occurs most often in people over 60 and gets worse over time.
Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the lungs and right side of the heart. It begins when tiny arteries in the lungs become narrowed or blocked, causing the right ventricle in the heart to pump harder. It is a serious, progressive disease with no cure.
Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but mostly the lungs and lymph glands. Several of the team's physicians specialize in the diagnosis and management of sarcoidosis and interstitial lung disease. They work collaboratively with other specialists at Boston Medical Center to provide comprehensive treatment for the many manifestations of sarcoidosis, including those to the heart, skin, and central nervous system.
An individual with sleep apnea experiences breathing that stops and starts during the sleep cycle. The two main types of sleep apnea are central sleep apnea, when the brain isn't sending the right signals to the muscles that control breathing, and obstructive sleep apnea, when the throat muscles relax.
