In the life of the body two things are of great importance - nutrition and respiration. But if a person can live long enough without food, then without air - no more than a couple of minutes. Breathing is one of the basic processes due to which the body is saturated with oxygen and functions smoothly. The lungs are responsible for its delivery to internal organs and tissues. Symptoms of problems that arise in the work of the respiratory system are described in detail in this article.
The danger of lung diseases lies in the low pain sensitivity of these organs. They have no nerve receptors. If the stomach or heart can hurt, warning about possible violations, then the lungs - no. This is the insidiousness of pathologies of the respiratory system.
It is important to know what signs may indicate lung problems. If violations are recognized in time, serious, and sometimes irreversible, health consequences can be prevented.
Dangerous diseases
It is possible to list all diseases of the respiratory system that can negatively affect a person’s well-being. The most dangerous of them is cancer. Most often diagnosed are pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy, asthma. These diseases, unlike oncology, are better treatable, but in the absence of competent therapy, each of them can lead to death. No less severe is emphysema, cystic fibrosis, which are more common in women. Symptoms of lung problems usually do not appear immediately.
In the fight against oncology, in most cases, victory is on the side of the disease. Only those patients who discovered an ailment at an early stage and immediately began to be treated have a chance to prolong life and improve its quality. Unfortunately, there are only a few such patients: lung cancer often does not show any symptoms. Problems with the lungs, which we used to consider to be truly dangerous and alarming, often come to light when only palliative therapy can be the only effective direction in treatment.
Infectious pathogens
Depending on the type of pathogen in the body, the lungs may be affected:
- mycoses;
- pathogenic bacteria;
- HIV infection
- helminthic invasion.
In infectious diseases of the lungs, the cough has a completely different character, characterized by a painful discharge of sputum and its increased production. A negative effect is exerted on the lungs as a result of an autoimmune reaction in which inflammation of the alveolitis occurs against an exogenous type of allergy. This violation is often accompanied by distress syndrome, which in acute form causes permanent damage to the main respiratory organ.
A persistent agonizing cough is characterized by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. From birth, a child may develop cystic fibrosis, which is characterized by chronic pneumonia and poor resistance to any kind of infection.
Primary and secondary pathologies
If we talk about the effect on the respiratory tract and the negative impact on them, then we can distinguish quite a lot of common chronic diseases. First of all, it is asthma, which is characterized by frequent cramping, causing severe shortness of breath and shortness of breath. An ailment can be in a person from birth or develop as a complication of a running allergy. Speaking about the etiology of bronchial asthma, it is impossible to completely exclude the negative impact of ecology.
Diseases of the lungs that have a negative effect on blood vessels - pulmonary embolism and arterial hypertension. The first is the result of vein thrombosis of the lower extremities. Blood clots present in the pulmonary arteries interfere with the normal flow of oxygen and blood circulation, so the patient develops shortness of breath. Hypertension is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure in the vessels of the lung. At the same time, patients feel chest pain. Loss of fluid in the blood vessels leads to pulmonary edema and the need to connect the patient to a ventilator.
The respiratory system is affected by tuberculosis and malignant tumors of various localization in the later stages. Another disease in this group is pneumoconiosis, which appears as a result of inhalation of dangerous substances that can cause any kind of organ damage (for example, dust of cement, coal, asbestos, etc.).
Cause for concern
No doctor can name the symptoms that would accurately indicate a particular diagnosis and lung problems in humans. It is believed that the reason for urgent treatment of specialists is a prolonged severe cough, chest pain, expectoration with blood. But there are other signs that seem more harmless and are not perceived as a signal of real danger. They serve as the main cause of the prevalence of chronic lung diseases.
Anything can provoke pathologies of the respiratory system: tobacco smoke, dust, viruses, toxic fumes, environmental conditions, etc. You need to act immediately if there are obvious signs that indicate the presence of lung problems. The symptoms of an approaching disease can in no way be ignored.
Lingering cough
Coughing is not an independent disease, as some people mistakenly think. This is a kind of protective reaction of the body, a reflex that protects the respiratory tract from irritants coming from outside, and helps to remove excess mucus.
At the same time, prolonged coughing is an alarming symptom. Lung problems rarely occur without it. If the cough does not go away for a long time and you can’t get rid of it even with the help of medications, it is better to consult a doctor.
Excess mucus
Weak sputum excretion is a concomitant symptom of lung problems in men and women. Coughing is often accompanied by increased mucus formation.
On the one hand, a semi-liquid secretion performs a binding function and removes pathogenic microflora, allergens, fungi, and dust from the body. During colds, the amount of mucus increases, which is quite normal. But on the other hand, if there is more sputum and this is in no way associated with acute respiratory infections, you should be wary. Moreover, if, in addition to profusion, changes in the color, smell or density of mucus become noticeable. For example, blood impurities in sputum may indicate chronic bronchitis or a malignant tumor.
Panting and shortness of breath
During exercise, shortness of breath should not cause concern. But if shortness of breath began to occur more often and without obvious reasons, it is most likely a mild problem. The reason for heavy breathing is increased organ tension. When the lungs work in an enhanced mode, a phenomenon occurs that resembles a blockage in the airways.
In no case should such a symptom be ignored. The problem with the lungs and bronchi may be the result of age-related disorders, but do not refer exclusively to age. When a whistling sound appears during breathing, you need to see a doctor. This is often a sign of narrowing of the airways. Air ceases to pass quickly and normally, which causes a characteristic wheezing. Whistling from the lungs is observed in patients with asthma, emphysema or lung cancer.
Why does puffiness appear
Patients usually know everything about their disease, including what changes are occurring in his body, what symptoms, if a lung problem is gaining momentum. However, many are genuinely surprised when they hear that leg swelling is often evidence of respiratory system diseases.
At first glance, it seems that there is nothing in common between disorders in the respiratory system and the circulation of fluids through the body. However, the weakened lung function can negatively affect blood circulation: due to a lack of oxygen, which is important for the full circulation of fluids throughout the body, they accumulate in separate areas, most often in the ankles.
Poorly functioning lungs interfere with the normal function of the heart, which eventually loses strength and pumps the right amount of blood. In turn, poor circulation of the internal organs contributes to the accumulation of toxins, the retention of excess fluid in the body.
If headache
The relationship between the central nervous and respiratory systems is obvious. Headache attacks that recur from time to time are a reason to visit a therapist. How to identify a problem with the lungs? The symptom in question can occur with a number of other disorders, and not only with diseases of the lungs or bronchi.
However, with some pathologies, the headache is typical. For example, with obstructive disease, it is dull, throbbing, worse in the morning or after a long stay in a horizontal position.
The origin of cephalgia in the pathology of the respiratory system can be explained by superficial breathing during sleep, as a result of which carbon dioxide accumulates in the body, the blood vessels of the brain expand, and then their spasms occur.
Sleep disturbances and a feeling of constant fatigue
According to reviews, there is another way to identify lung problems. Symptoms that would clearly hint at a disease may not be at all. But if the person’s lungs do not work at full strength, he will get tired faster even with minor loads, because without enough oxygen all organs work intensively.
Some patients have to be more selective when it comes to choosing a sleeping position. With individual lung pathologies, patients often experience discomfort while lying down, so they prefer to fall asleep while sitting in a chair.
What consequences may arise
The respiratory system is a complex structure. The lungs and bronchi are vulnerable to many viral and bacterial infections. With untimely treatment of diseases that at first glance do not pose a particular threat, the likelihood of developing complications becomes much higher. As a result, the purulent-inflammatory process affects the organ parenchyma and affects its functionality, causing abscesses, gangrene, pneumosclerosis. Fortunately, such complications are not common. They are difficult to treat.
How to understand that there are problems with the lungs?
In many ways, diseases of the respiratory system are similar in symptomatology and initial manifestations, while all of them affect organs differently. For example, asthma leads to damage to the lung tissue. This disease can be suspected by loud wheezing, coughing, “bluish” integuments and sneezing.
Acute bronchitis is more pronounced at night, accompanied by a cough with severe chest pain. In the chronic form, the cough becomes permanent. Pleurisy differs from bronchitis in that pain occurs in the chest not only with coughing, but also with the slightest movements of the torso.
For pneumonia, the most characteristic symptom is a sustained increase in body temperature and shortness of breath. In this case, there may be no cough. Patients feel exhausted, they are concerned about the presence of anxiety, emotion, weakness in the muscles and apathy.
Signs of emphysema may not appear until the last stages of the disease. Patients experience rapid weight loss, discoloration of the skin, and barrel-shaped deformation of the chest occurs. As a rule, a patient with emphysema is even exhaled with difficulty.
The most difficult to diagnose in the early stages of a malignant tumor of the lungs. Signs of oncology are often mistaken by patients for symptoms of a common cold. Many people do not take into account the protracted nature of their malaise, which is atypical for a respiratory illness, and seek help when real problems arise.
Symptoms of pulmonary edema in patients with cancer are the result of an increased concentration of exudate in the pleura. Usually, edema occurs in the last stages and indicates the depletion of the body as a whole. Often, this violation is accompanied by cardiovascular failure. Without proper medical care, pulmonary edema can be fatal. Its symptoms are:
- sudden choking;
- secretion of foamy pinkish sputum;
- wet rales;
- swelling of the cervical veins;
- heart palpitations;
- lowering blood pressure;
- moist wheezing in the lungs.
About preventive measures
So far, doctors do not know any one hundred percent way that would prevent tuberculosis, cancer or another dangerous disease of the respiratory system. First of all, the guarantee of health is a periodic examination in the clinic and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. To prevent lung problems, you must:
- give up bad habits and avoid secondhand smoke;
- visit the fresh air more often;
- not to allow a long stay in places with adverse environmental conditions, industrial areas, etc .;
- plant indoor plants in order to improve air quality;
- do physical education;
- eat properly.