A doctor who specializes in disorders of the respiratory system is called a pulmonologist or a respiratory physician. These specialists diagnose, treat, and manage diseases affecting the lungs, airways, and other parts of the respiratory system, including the windpipe, alveoli, and pulmonary blood vessels
. Key facts about pulmonologists:
- They treat conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea, and other respiratory infections or chronic lung diseases
- Pulmonologists often work closely with cardiologists because lung and heart conditions can present similar symptoms
- They perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as bronchoscopy, lung biopsies, pulmonary function tests, and manage patients requiring mechanical ventilation or critical care
- Their training includes medical school, internal medicine residency, and specialized fellowship training in pulmonology, sometimes with further subspecialty focus like pediatric pulmonology or critical care medicine
- Respiratory physicians may also be called chest doctors or lung specialists
In summary, if you have a respiratory disorder or symptoms like chronic cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing, a pulmonologist is the appropriate specialist to consult
