Loutfi S. Aboussouan, MD

Caring.com Expert

About

Loutfi S. Aboussouan was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He is a staff physician for the Cleveland Clinic's Respiratory Institute and Neurological Institute.

He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medicine, and sleep medicine. His interests include general pulmonary medicine, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neuromuscular diseases, sleep medicine, long-term ventilator care, and teaching. He directs the pulmonary curriculum for the second-year class of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner School of Medicine. He has several publications in the fields of pulmonary and sleep medicine and is a reviewer for several scientific journals.

Aboussouan received College Teaching Awards at Detroit's Wayne State University in 1999 and 2003 and is peer-elected for listing in the Best Doctors in America.

Why I Care

"It makes me happy to combine my career with my interests, and help people at the same time. My hobby is playing classical piano. I've always been active in the Doctor-Patient Music Connection at the Arts and Medicine Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. Doctors and patients play a series of concerts with the help of local professional musicians and internationally renowned artists. The aim is to improve medical care, by raising the level of the patient-doctor relationship and by getting the therapeutic benefit of musical performances."

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Monday January 30, 2012

    1. back pain does it relate to COPD and swelling of stomach and ankles

      Answer - Although it is possible for COPD to cause swelling (a condition that is called “Cor pulmonale”), it is very difficult to know at this point whether her ankle swelling is due to the COPD. This is because there are so many other causes of leg swelling. Most of them are benign, but some may be more ser serious...

  2. Friday November 04, 2011

    1. What can I do to help improve my COPD symptoms?

      Answer - In reading your question there are several issues that come to my mind such as how was your COPD was diagnosed and how was it determined to be mild. If it is mild, why are you short of breath with little exertion and what can be done about it? I would suggest you have a breathing test called a spirometry...

  3. Tuesday August 09, 2011

    1. What kind of doctor is best for a COPD patient?

      Answer - Your husband’s regular physician may well be able to handle his management of COPD, particularly is he is uncomplicated. However, a doctor for COPD (a pulmonary doctor) should probably get involved for more complicated decisions associated with COPD that may or not apply to your husband.

  4. Thursday May 19, 2011

    1. What are the best places to live if you have mild emphysema?

      Answer - There are several things to consider when a decision to move depends in part on a diagnosis of emphysema. The most important of which is that everybody is different. Therefore, the answer to the best place to live with emphysema can and should be individualized. Much depends on what worsens your emphysema symptoms...

  5. Thursday May 05, 2011

    1. I've never smoked, so how can I be diagnosed with COPD?

      Answer - Although there are many reasons for people who never smoke to develop COPD (I will discuss those at the end), consider that a diagnosis of COPD is based on numbers that come out of testing equipment. Numbers do no necessarily mean disease, especially if you have none of the symptoms of COPD.

  6. Thursday April 14, 2011

    1. My friend with COPD is tired and out of breath all the time, is she in her last days?

      Answer - There is probably still much that can be done for your friend. Even though she appears to have advanced COPD, this does not necessarily mean she is in her last days. Although commercials put a lot of emphasis on medications and inhalers, the best methods to improve and prolong life are much simpler:...

  7. Wednesday April 06, 2011

    1. If someone has stage 1 COPD and still smokes, how long will they live?

      Answer - The question of smoking with COPD and lifespan is difficult to answer because the stage of COPD is only one factor that determines how long someone with COPD can live. Roughly, just looking at lung function (which determines the stage of COPD), the survival in stage 1 COPD is probably not much worse...

  8. Sunday February 06, 2011

    1. How do I sleep better and soundly at night with COPD?

      Answer - There are many reasons why patients with COPD have disrupted sleep and poor sleep quality, including: 1) worsening of breathing during sleep, 2) the effect of medications, caffeine or alcohol, 3) associated conditions such as anxiety, depression or insomnia, 4) other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea...

  9. Thursday January 06, 2011

    1. What is the life expectancy of a stage 4 COPD patient that does not stop smoking?

      Answer - I hope your mother recovers quickly. Based on original studies, someone with a grade 4 COPD (which is also called “very severe” COPD) has a 60% chance of living 3 years. If we are talking about a grade 3 COPD (also called “severe” COPD), then there may be an 85% chance of living 3 years. Everyone isryone is of course going to be different...

  10. Wednesday January 05, 2011

    1. Can cold winter weather make COPD symptoms worse?

      Answer - COPD symptoms could certainly worsen with weather change, including heat, cold, dry or humid environments. Your mother's case may be similar to patients with exercise induced asthma. In such people, breathing cold and dry air may trigger an attack...

  11. Saturday December 18, 2010

    1. Is it safe to have a cat and bird if I have COPD and emphysema?

      Answer - The question of COPD and pets is quite interesting. Both cats and birds can cause pulmonary problems but many patients with COPD have pets without any problem. Cats can cause asthmatic reactions in some individuals and some patients with COPD have such an asthmatic component...

  12. Thursday December 16, 2010

    1. Will moving to a higher elevation make my COPD worse?

      Answer - The answer depends on the severity of your COPD. The oxygen level will be lower at higher elevations, even in individuals with normal lung function, simply because of the lower barometric pressure. Since the normal lung has plenty of reserve, the oxygen at elevation may drop to a level that would still be considered normal, so it is usually not an issue...

  13. Saturday December 04, 2010

    1. Does living in a dry climate affect COPD symptoms?

      Answer - There is a popular impression that dry and warmer climates may be better for patients with COPD and other breathing disorders. For instance, Arizona was often promoted for patients with various lung diseases including asthma and tuberculosis. However, there is no research confirming that notion...

  14. Saturday October 23, 2010

    1. What is a pulmonary nodule?

      Answer - A pulmonary nodule usually refers to the finding on a chest X-ray or a CAT scan of a round spot which is less than 3 cm (about 1.2 inches) in diameter and found inside the lung tissue. Because of the size and shape, it is also know as a coin lesion...

  15. Tuesday August 24, 2010

    1. How long will it take for my COPD and asthma to keep me from walking?

      Answer - One important and perhaps underused treatment that may help your ability to walk again, even up hills and stairs, may be pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is generally appropriate for patients with COPD and shortness of breath while walking...

  16. Friday August 13, 2010

    1. What happens if your oxygen level stays between 84 and 87?

      Answer - An oxygen level in the range you mention (88% or less) is the usual indication for starting oxygen in patients with COPD. It is perhaps easier to answer the question of what oxygen can do in this situation, rather than what the effects of a low oxygen level are...

  17. Thursday July 29, 2010

    1. How does Spiriva help COPD patients?

      Answer - Spiriva is the brand name for the medication tiotropium. It works by relaxing airway narrowing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or chronic bronchitis. The usual symptoms for which it would be used are wheezing, prevention of wheezing, shortness of breath, and cough...

  18. Thursday July 22, 2010

    1. Should we keep putting Mom through rounds of tests? Or is enough, enough?

      Answer - I believe your question is whether your mother is receiving too many or perhaps unnecessary tests, and I understand your concern. This is a difficult question to answer in part because heart failure, a flare of COPD, a worsening of kidney function, and anemia, could all present as a feeling of “justst not feeling well”...