Lung Diseases
Our lungs are part of the respiratory system that helps us breathe and to live. They are located in the chest, above the diaphragm. When we breathe, oxygen enters our lungs and from there, is transported into our blood. When lung diseases occur in a person, it usually makes them unable to breathe properly. Lung diseases can come with many different hazards with varying symptoms depending on how the disease affects the lung or surrounding area.
Some lung diseases include:
• Lung cancer
• Tuberculosis
• Pneumonia
• Asthma
The most leading cause of lung diseases is said to be smoking cigarettes. Smoking is the biggest cause of lung cancer. If you smoke, you have a big chance of being a lung cancer patient. The sooner you quit, the better it is for you.
Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed. Most cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking cigarettes but there are also other irritants that can trigger lung cancer. These include:
• Second-hand smoke
• Air pollution
• Exposure to dangerous chemicals in the air
There are several options in choosing treatments for lung cancer. Like with any other diseases, it is better if the lung cancer is treated in its early stages before it causes any permanent or severe consequences. Any of these will do perfectly with treating your lung cancer:
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Radiotherapy
• Surgery
If not treated properly, lung cancer can lead to severe consequences including death.
Another common and well known lung disease is asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the airways in the lungs. The effects of asthma are most commonly known as wheezing, coughing, breathlessness and chest tightness. When asthma occurs, the airways in your lungs are narrowed down which therefore, limits the airflow to your lungs.
Asthma is well known by its very common symptoms that can show up in pretty much anyone. These symptoms include:
• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Breathlessness
• Dry and coarse coughs that is worse in the mornings
Asthma is an incurable disease but it is treatable. There are various treatment options for asthma that usually depends on the severity of the condition. They include:
• Leukotriene modifiers
• Inhaled corticosteroids
• Combination inhalers
• Long-acting beta agonists
• Theophylline
• Ipratropium
• Oral and intravenous corticosteroids
• Asthma action plan
Asthma can make life hard but if you stick to medications, you will find it much easier.
Diseases are not the only problems that can affect the lungs. Infections are also very common among those who are unlucky enough to be burdened with lung conditions.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. Usually, tuberculosis affects the lungs but it can also affect any other organ in the human body.
There are several ways in which you can tell or suspect whether you have been infected by tuberculosis. These symptoms include:
• Fevers
• Night sweating
• Persistent tiredness
• Severe coughing
• Blood streaked sputum
• Unusual weight loss
If you think you have tuberculosis or any other lung conditions, it is important to contact a health care provider or doctor immediately as some diseases and conditions tend to develop more as they are left alone with no treatment and sometimes, they can get harder to treat or cure if don’t take any action about it.
For more information on other lung diseases and conditions, please visit our site.