Lung diseases are still on the rise. The large number of smokers in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s in particular has led to a rapid increase in the number of patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), bronchial asthma and lung cancer.
But old acquaintances, such as pulmonary tuberculosis, are also making a comeback. Pulmonologists are the best people to contact in all these cases.
Pneumology, also known as pulmonology, is a sub-discipline of internal medicine and mainly deals with the lungs, the respiratory tract and their diseases. In German-speaking countries, pneumology is better known as pulmonology.
Thoracic surgery is closely linked to pulmonology. This includes all surgical procedures, e.g. for lung cancer, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Pulmonologists regularly treat patients with
COPD,
COPD is an incurable lung disease in which the airways become inflamed and constricted @ Andrey Popov /AdobeStock
The diagnostic methods used in pneumology can sometimes seem a little frightening to patients. Nevertheless, modern equipment makes it possible to carry out pain-free examinations.
Bronchoscopy, for example, is one of the tools used by pulmonology specialists. This involves using a tube and probe to look directly into the airways and lungs. In the event of breathing problems, pulmonologists carry out lung function tests as standard. You will also find the following more specialized diagnostic methods in a pulmonology clinic:
During a bronchoscopy, the larynx and airways can be examined using a bronchoscope@ pikovit /AdobeStock
What many people don't know: Snoring and sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, sometimes also belong in the hands of a pulmonology specialist. In addition to acute lung diseases, they also deal with sleep medicine and, in individual cases, have access to sleep laboratories.
Respiratory medicine, e.g. for coma patients, also falls within the scope of pulmonology. As a rule, however, pulmonologists will offer the following therapies that go beyond the mere prescription of medication:
- Allergen avoidance,
- antibiotics,
- asthma medication,
- respiratory training,
- ventilation,
- Cortisone (spray or tablets),
- hyposensitization,
- nicotine cessation,
- long-term oxygen therapy,
- thoracic drainage
The further training of doctors to become specialists in pneumology is strictly regulated. Candidates must undergo 6 years of further training, at the end of which they are examined both orally and practically.
The aim is to obtain the specialist qualification in "Internal Medicine and Pneumology" after completing the prescribed training periods and training content, including the content of basic further training.
The contents of further training to become a pneumology specialist include
- Training for tobacco cessation counseling sessions (The consequences of smoking now make up one of the main areas of treatment in pulmonology. This is alarming, as the trend for smoking-related lung diseases continues to rise),
- Diseases caused by air pollution (so-called environmental toxins),
- sleep-related breathing disorders (e.g. snoring or apnoea),
- drug-based tumor therapy,
- hereditary lung diseases (e.g. cystic fibrosis),
- Infectious diseases of the respiratory organs (e.g. bronchitis, tuberculosis),
- allergies and allergic asthma,
- Knowledge of surgical, radiotherapeutic and radiological treatment procedures,
- Intensive care medicine and respiratory medicine,
- Ultrasound diagnostics of the heart, lungs and airways,
- bronchoscopy,
- and much more.
