Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD is a sleep medicine doctor in Chicago, IL specializing in sleep medicine and adult critical care. She graduated from University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD is affiliated with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS and MERCY CLINIC PITTSBURG LLC.
University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung disease where the tissue and airways of the lungs become extremely sensitive to certain substances. When these substances are breathed in, the lungs become inflamed. The muscles around the airways tighten and squeeze the lungs, and passages within the lungs swell and tighten. The airways themselves produce mucus, which further clogs the tightened, swollen airways. A person having an asthma attack finds it very difficult to breathe, and a severe attack can even be fatal.
Asthma affects people of all ages, but people with asthma are most often diagnosed as children. Symptoms can include wheezing, a tight feeling in the chest, shortness of breath, and coughing. Some people have mild symptoms all the time, and some people have no symptoms at all, but everyone with asthma is susceptible to occasional severe attacks or flare-ups of symptoms when they are exposed to triggers. Triggers vary widely but can include:
Treatment for most asthma patients involves three steps. Patients learn what their asthma triggers are and avoid them. They take a daily control medication, usually an inhaled corticosteroid, to reduce inflammation in the lungs. Also, they have rescue medication with them at all times to take in case of a severe attack. These quick-acting inhaled medications relax the muscles around the airways and allow the lungs to open up for air.
There is no cure for asthma, but with treatment it should not interfere with daily life and activities.
Lung Issues
Every cell in the body requires oxygen to function and produces carbon dioxide as a waste product. In order to keep the body's tissues constantly supplied with fresh oxygen and to keep waste from building up, the lungs pump air in and out, even while sleeping or unaware. Unfortunately, diseases and disorders affecting the lungs are some of the most common medical problems afflicting people around the world. Some of the most common lung problems include asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and lung cancer.
Asthma is a chronic disease where swollen, inflamed airways make it hard to breathe. It is often brought on by specific triggers. While asthma is a common condition, affecting millions of people, it can also be serious and even fatal in severe cases. Treatment involves avoiding triggers and using inhaled corticosteroid medications.
COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is the name given to two illnesses that both cause difficulty breathing: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. In emphysema, the air sacs of the lungs become damaged, while with bronchitis they become clogged with mucus. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. It is almost always caused by breathing irritants into the lungs, such as smoking or heavy pollution.
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by bacteria, a virus, or fungi. Most healthy people recover from pneumonia in a week or two, but for some people pneumonia can be fatal. There are treatments available for pneumonia, but the best treatment is to prevent getting sick in the first place. People who are at risk should make sure they get a flu shot every year. There is also a vaccine available for the type of bacteria that causes pneumonia.
Lung cancer occurs when abnormal cells inside the lung grow into a tumor, destroying healthy tissue. Because it is so difficult to detect lung cancer in early stages when it has few symptoms, it is the deadliest form of cancer, responsible for the most cancer deaths both in the U.S. and worldwide. Most lung cancer is caused by exposure to tobacco smoke, but between 10-15% of cases are not linked to smoking.
Some problems with the lungs are minor and are not cause for concern. However if symptoms have lasted for a month or more, even if they are minor, it is worth checking with a healthcare professional. A cough, shortness of breath, or excess mucus production that lingers for weeks are all worth getting looked at.
Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.
In 2012, Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD had a list price for pulmonary function test (PFT) that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 75% of providers in related specialties within Illinois. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.
The top procedures that Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD treated as a sleep medicine doctor in Chicago, IL during 2012 were hospital care and inpatient care.
Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD for Medicare patients.
| hospital care | 12 |
|---|---|
| inpatient care | 12 |
The top procedures that Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD treated as a sleep medicine doctor in Chicago, IL during 2013 were hospital care and inpatient care.
Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD for Medicare patients.
| hospital care | 19 |
|---|---|
| inpatient care | 19 |
Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD.
| Non-Hispanic White | |
|---|---|
| Black | |
| Hispanic | |
| Asian | |
| Other | |
| Native American |
| Hypertension | |
|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | |
| Stroke | |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | |
| Depression | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Asthma | |
| Osteoperosis | |
| Atrial Fibrilation | |
| Heart Failure | |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | |
| Diabetes | |
| Dementia | |
| Cancer |
The top procedures that Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD treated as a sleep medicine doctor in Chicago, IL during 2018 were pulmonary testing, sleep study and airway management.
Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD for Medicare patients.
| airway management | 15 |
|---|---|
| doctor visit | 16 |
| pulmonary testing | 36 |
| sleep study | 15 |
Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD.
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Female |
| Non-Hispanic White | |
|---|---|
| Black | |
| Hispanic | |
| Asian | |
| Other | |
| Native American |
| From 65 to 74 | |
|---|---|
| From 75 to 84 | |
| 85 and over | |
| Less than 65 |
| Hypertension | |
|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | |
| Stroke | |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | |
| Depression | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Asthma | |
| Osteoperosis | |
| Atrial Fibrilation | |
| Heart Failure | |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | |
| Diabetes | |
| Dementia | |
| Cancer |
The top procedures that Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD treated as a sleep medicine doctor in Chicago, IL during 2019 were pulmonary testing and blood draw.
Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD for Medicare patients.
| blood draw | 14 |
|---|---|
| pulmonary testing | 86 |
Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD.
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Female |
| Non-Hispanic White | |
|---|---|
| Black | |
| Hispanic | |
| Asian | |
| Other | |
| Native American |
| From 65 to 74 | |
|---|---|
| From 75 to 84 | |
| 85 and over | |
| Less than 65 |
| Hypertension | |
|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | |
| Stroke | |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | |
| Depression | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Asthma | |
| Osteoperosis | |
| Atrial Fibrilation | |
| Heart Failure | |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | |
| Diabetes | |
| Dementia | |
| Cancer |
Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD.
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Female |
| Non-Hispanic White | |
|---|---|
| Black | |
| Hispanic | |
| Asian | |
| Other | |
| Native American |
| From 65 to 74 | |
|---|---|
| From 75 to 84 | |
| 85 and over | |
| Less than 65 |
| Hypertension | |
|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | |
| Stroke | |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | |
| Depression | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Asthma | |
| Osteoperosis | |
| Atrial Fibrilation | |
| Heart Failure | |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | |
| Diabetes | |
| Dementia | |
| Cancer |
Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD.
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Female |
| Non-Hispanic White | |
|---|---|
| Black | |
| Hispanic | |
| Asian | |
| Other | |
| Native American |
| From 65 to 74 | |
|---|---|
| From 75 to 84 | |
| 85 and over | |
| Less than 65 |
| Hypertension | |
|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | |
| Stroke | |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | |
| Depression | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Asthma | |
| Osteoperosis | |
| Atrial Fibrilation | |
| Heart Failure | |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | |
| Diabetes | |
| Dementia | |
| Cancer |
Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD.
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Female |
| Non-Hispanic White | |
|---|---|
| Black | |
| Hispanic | |
| Asian | |
| Other | |
| Native American |
| From 65 to 74 | |
|---|---|
| From 75 to 84 | |
| 85 and over | |
| Less than 65 |
| Hypertension | |
|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | |
| Stroke | |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | |
| Depression | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Asthma | |
| Osteoperosis | |
| Atrial Fibrilation | |
| Heart Failure | |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | |
| Diabetes | |
| Dementia | |
| Cancer |
Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD for Medicare patients.
The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD treated as a sleep medicine doctor in Chicago, IL were pulmonary testing, sleep study, airway management and hospital care.
| airway management | 15 |
|---|---|
| blood draw | 14 |
| doctor visit | 16 |
| hospital care | 15 |
| inpatient care | 15 |
| pulmonary testing | 61 |
| sleep study | 15 |
Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD.
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Female |
| Black / African American | |
|---|---|
| Asian / Pacific Islander | |
| Non-Hispanic White | |
| Native American / Alaskan Native | |
| Hispanic | |
| Other |
| 75 to 84 | |
|---|---|
| 85 and over | |
| Less than 65 | |
| 65 to 74 |
The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD treated were hypertension, chronic kidney disease, high cholesterol and diabetes.
| Hypertension | |
|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | |
| Stroke | |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | |
| Depression | |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | |
| Asthma | |
| Osteoporosis | |
| Heart Failure | |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | |
| Diabetes | |
| Atrial Fibrillation | |
| Dementia | |
| Cancer |
Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD graduated from University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. She completed residency at Rush University Medical Center. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine - Sleep Medicine and has a state license in Illinois.
Medical School: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
Residency: Rush University Medical Center
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine - Sleep Medicine
Licensed In: Illinois
Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:
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These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Sai S. Sunkara, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.
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$72
ZERBAXA $72 |
|
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$22
Xyrem $22 |
| $94 |
Dr. Sai Sunkara is a specialist in adult critical care, sleep medicine, and adult pulmonology. In addition to English, she speaks Telugu. Clinical interests for Dr. Sunkara include intensive care, asthma, and sleep apnea. Dr. Sunkara is affiliated with the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Before performing her residency at Rush University Medical Center, Dr. Sunkara attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.
