Critical Illness

Dealing with Critical Lung Illness and Respiratory Emergencies

Your lungs are one of the most vital organs you have in your body. Responsible for oxygenating your blood using the air around you, their health should be very important to you. Understanding the conditions that can impact your lungs is crucial if you’re going to get to the bottom of any breathing problems you might have.

What is a Respiratory Emergency? 

There are a lot of life-threatening lung illnesses out there, and these can be split into four main groups. Some of these could impact you for many years before causing major problems, while others can act much faster, but it’s always worth seeing a medical professional as soon as you notice any breathing problems in yourself. At Cochise Oncology, our pulmonologist, Dr. Sasan Sazgar, specializes in both pulmonology and critical care, and can assess and help treat any of the following lung concerns:

• Affecting The Airways: The airways that let air travel into your lungs can be affected by asthma, COPD, emphysema, and a wide range of other conditions.
• Affecting The Air Sacs (Alveoli): Your air sacs make up most of your lung tissue. These small pockets can be affected by lung cancer, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and several other serious illnesses.
• Affecting the Interstitium: The interstitium is a thin membrane that allows gasses to pass into your blood. Interstitial lung disease is the main illness that will impact this part of your lungs.
• Affecting Blood Vessels: The blood vessels around your lungs can be impacted by pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension.
• Affecting the Pleura: The pleura is a thin lining that covers the chest wall and allows the lungs to move freely. This part of your lungs can be affected by pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and mesothelioma.
• Affecting the Chest Wall: Your chest wall moves to enable your lungs to inflate. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome and neuromuscular disorders are chest wall conditions that can impact your lungs.