Signs You May Need a Pulmonologist
A pulmonologist is a doctor who specializes in diseases of the lungs, including asthma, pneumonia and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
If you think you might be at risk of lung disease, here are some signs to look for:
A Chronic cough lasting a month or more.
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, even when you’re not being active or you’ve had a chance to rest and recover from exercise.
Mucous in your lungs for a month or more.
Wheezing or making a noise when you breathe.
Coughing up blood can indicate a lung disease or some other serious condition.
Chest pain that lasts for a month or more without any known cause and gets worse when you breathe.
When seeing a pulmonologist for the first time, it’s important to give your new specialist insight into your history. Be sure to bring a list of all of the medications you are taking, as well as a list of all of the medical conditions that you have. Have your medical records sent to the new office, so that your pulmonologist can understand your history and know who to contact if there are questions about your care.