Dr. Kara N Goss MD

As a firefighter, Wes Loucks received countless emergency phone calls throughout his 32 years of service for the Portland Fire and Rescue Bureau. After retiring, he received a personal call for help from his own family. His two grandsons were both born with cystic fibrosis (CF), a chronic genetic...

OverviewPulmonology is a subspecialty of internal medicine that focuses on respiratory health. The specialist called in this area of medicine is called a pulmonologist. Pulmonologists are specialists who diagnose and treat different conditions that are associated with the respiratory system of...

What is allergic bronchitis?Bronchitis is an inflammation of the inner lining of the bronchial tubes usually due to a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Bronchitis itself can be acute when the signs and symptoms last no longer than 10 days, and chronic when the signs and symptoms tend...

Legionella bacteriaLegionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia that is in its most severe form. The disease occurs due to a bacterial infection caused by a bacteria called legionella and mainly results in the inflammation of the lungs. The bacteria are known to thrive commonly in areas such as...

For those with cystic fibrosis (CF), lung infections are the greatest contributor to death. Lung inflammation, destruction, and chronic infection occurs due to the thick sticky mucus associated with CF.This over-proliferation of mucus occurs due to the mutated gene CFTR which is responsible for the...

What is pneumonia?Pneumonia is an acute lung infection that causes inflammation of the air sacs in either one or both lungs. The air sacs get filled with fluid or pus, making it difficult for the affected person to properly breathe. Individuals who have contracted the infection usually cough and...