Pulmonology is a field of medicine that focuses specifically on diagnosing and treating disorders of the respiratory system.

Subspecialties of pulmonology can include:

• interstitial lung disease, which focuses on lung diseases marked by persistent inflammation and scarring
• interventional pulmonology, which employs multidisciplinary care to treat airway disorders, lung cancer, and pleural diseases
• lung transplantation
• neuromuscular disease, which refers to conditions that occur due to respiratory muscle failure
• obstructive lung disease, which involves airway narrowing or obstruction
• sleep-disordered breathing

Conditions pulmonologists commonly treat include:

• asthma
• bronchiectasis, which occurs when your lungs can’t clear mucus
• bronchitis, which happens when you have inflamed mucous membranes
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which causes an airflow blockage
• emphysema, which happens when the alveoli in your lungs are damaged
• interstitial lung diseases, which affect the space and tissue around the alveoli
• occupational lung diseases, which can occur due to the inhalation of dusts, chemicals, or proteins
• obstructive sleep apnea, which causes your breathing to slow or stop entirely when you’re sleeping