At Sleep & Wellness Medical Associates, our dedicated staff specializes in the treatment of pulmonary diseases and related health problems.
What Diseases Do We Treat?
Allergic Disorders
Respiratory allergies are among the most frequent types and are increasing in incidence. The prevalence of respiratory allergies is estimated between 10–30%, with a greater affected population in urban areas. For allergy sufferers, we provide comprehensive care for allergic disorders.
Some of the conditions that we treat include:
- Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and non-allergic rhinitis
- Rhinosinusitis
- Allergy-induced asthma
- Hives and angioedema
- Anaphylaxis
- Food allergies and drug reactions
- Hypersensitivity to stinging insects
- Autoimmune and immunodeficiency disorders (other than HIV)
We perform a wide range of allergy tests, offer counseling on how to steer away from allergens and desensitization and immunotherapy shots if indicated.
Asthma
Around 26 million people suffer from asthma in the US. This chronic inflammatory disorder can present itself as brief outbursts or last for several days. When in contact with allergens, the airways are narrowed and the glands produce extra mucus, blocking the airways further. Although incurable, asthma can be controlled. However, it is important to monitor it, as it evolves throughout the patient’s lifetime.
Chronic Cough
Although a common symptom of many lung diseases, chronic cough can’t always be connected to another disease or condition. The fact that it is chronic refers to it not going away for a long time.
Common causes of chronic cough include lung diseases, allergies, medications, smoking, or it can even be a reflux of stomach contents. Oftentimes, when the cause has been identified, the cough can be treated successfully. That is why it is important to consult with a specialist and get the right diagnosis.
Shortness of Breath
Dyspnea, or shortness of breath, refers to difficulty breathing or uncomfortable breathing. As a consequence, there is insufficient airflow for your daily respiration needs. It is a worrisome symptom of sensitive or continual diseases and disorders.
This condition has different degrees of severity. They depend on the underlying causes. Such causes include:
- The obstruction of the air passages,
- heart diseases,
- emotional distress such as anxiety,
- lung disease,
- Asthma,
- coronary heart disease,
- Pneumonia,
- the inhalation of foreign objects,
- allergies,
- obesity,
- compression of the chest wall,
- panic attacks
- and gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD).
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
A chronic and obstructive disease of the lower respiratory tract in the lungs, it makes it so it is harder to breathe. For COPD sufferers, the airways through which the air that comes in and out of your lungs are partly obstructed, resulting in breathing difficulties.
This disease can take two forms: chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Common symptoms of include:
- shortness of breath,
- coughing and increased mucus.
Although smoking is a common cause behind COPD, long-term inhalation of other irritants may result in COPD as well. Additionally, COPD has been identified as the fourth leading cause of death in the US, affecting more than one million people per year.
Comprehensive Smoking Treatment Program
Smoking treatments at Sleep & Wellness are highly personalized. They involve a multidisciplinary approach that includes:
- medication that offers cravings control;
- counseling on tobacco dependence;
- specialized care for relapsing smokers or people suffering from smoking-related diseases.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the leader among cancer-related deaths in the United States. Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. Other causes of lung cancer can include:
- smoking other types of tobacco (such as pipes or cigars);
- breathing secondhand smoke,
- being exposed to substances such as asbestos or radon,
- having certain gene mutations,
- or having a family history of lung cancer.
Additionally, lung cancer can be secondary, meaning the lungs are affected after cancer that might have started elsewhere in the body spreads.
Pleurisy
The pleura is the serous membranes lining the thorax and enveloping the lungs as protection. Also called pleuritis, pleurisy is a condition whereby inflammation of the pleura causes the membranes to rub and grate against each other. Usually arising from an existing respiratory infection or disease, like pneumonia or viral infections, there are two types of pleurisy: dry and wet.
- In dry pleurisy, the inflamed pleural membranes rub against each other as explained above,
- and in wet pleurisy, the serous fluid oozes from the membranes, which can result in a compression of the lungs and therefore difficulty breathing.
Interstitial Lung Disease
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an broad-encompassing term that refers to a diverse group of diseases that cause scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs. Most of them have no known cause. However, some of the known causes include:
- occupational and environmental exposure to inflammatory gasses like asbestos, silica, hard metal dusts, bacteria, animal proteins,and fumes;
- drugs;
- radiation,
- residue of active infections,
- connective tissue diseases like lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, etc.
Asbestosis
More commonly referred to as asbestos exposure; when asbestosis takes place, the resulting fibrosis causes scarring in the lungs and in the pleural membrane. Heavy exposure usually results in significant asbestosis within the lifespan of a person.
Asbestosis sufferers are subject to severe breathlessness, chest pains, general weakness and in severe cases have an enlarged heart. Furthermore, lung cancer has also been identified as a consequence of asbestos exposure, even at low levels.