Every year in our country, a planned medical examination is carried out. Its main goal is to establish whether a person complies with the health standards of his profession. One of the mandatory checks is fluorography. Sometimes calcifications in the lungs are found in the picture. What this diagnosis means, what treatment requires, whether it can be prevented - we will dwell on these issues in more detail in today's article.
Medical certificate
Calcinates are modified alveoli enclosed in a strong shell. They consist mainly of calcium salts, which served as their name.
The cause of calcification can be inflammatory disorders, the treatment of which was not done in a timely manner. In this case, the acute course of the pathology is transformed into a chronic one, and the body spontaneously “drowns” it.
Sometimes calcium formations occur with tuberculosis. The mechanism of sediment development is easily traceable. First, tuberculous granuloma is formed in response to the penetration of bacteria into the body. Immunity throws all forces to neutralize it. In the inflammatory focus, connective tissue replaces dead alveoli. To protect this area from healthy elements, a thick capsule of immune cells is formed around it. Over time, it is impregnated with the salts of the capsule, forming a dense shell.
Features of pathology in children
The formation of calcifications in the lungs usually occurs according to one scheme, for example, as with tuberculosis. Sometimes pathology has a congenital etiology.
When detecting altered alveoli in infants, an examination is performed to identify the inflammatory process in the body. In the absence of it, the pathology, as a rule, resolves on its own. If calcifications are detected after fluorography in children of preschool and school age, primary infection with tuberculosis bacteria is suspected. In this case, special attention is paid to the Mantoux test. If it exceeds its size, appropriate therapy is prescribed.
What are dangerous calcifications in the lungs?
Most often, saline formations in the lungs are detected accidentally during a preventive examination. Most patients cannot compare such a diagnosis with past inflammatory events. This is due to the duration of the calcination process. In this case, patients have questions about treatment methods, the dangers of such a “find”. To give answers to them, the doctor needs to assess the degree of damage to the organ, a change in its structure.
The danger of calcifications is the following effects on the body:
- The affected area of the lung cannot fully participate in gas exchange. Because of this, individual tissues experience oxygen starvation.
- Large formations lead to severe lung dysfunction.
- Pathogenic flora may be present inside the calcine capsule, provoking repeated relapse of the disease.
- Against the background of a developing pathological process, the body's defenses are weakening. It becomes difficult for him to fight new viruses and infectious agents.
It must be understood that salt formations are not lung tissue. The larger their size, the more difficult gas exchange occurs in the body. In the case of exposure to negative factors, the pathology can transform into secondary tuberculosis.
Main reasons
Doctors associate the causes of calcifications in the lungs with inflammatory diseases. The most common disorders are listed below.
- Infectious lesions of the respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia, organ tissue microabscess, etc.).
- Helminthic invasion. In this case, salt deposits form due to the penetration of parasites into the lungs.
- Oncology.
- Inflammation of the lungs against an infectious heart disease.
- Violation of calcium metabolism.
- Unfavorable lifestyle (poor ecology, smoking, alcohol abuse).
However, tuberculosis is still the main cause of calcifications.
Clinical picture
At the initial stages, there are no signs of calcifications in the lungs. With single formations, symptoms of the common cold can appear. However, patients rarely give them proper attention and do not go to the doctor.
In the case of small calcifications, a pronounced clinical picture is also absent. The broader the area of the lesion, the brighter the symptoms. With a small prevalence of the pathological process, the patient has malaise and mild inflammation. In the case of a significant violation of the structure of the tissues of the organ, lung dysfunction is observed. Patients usually complain of the following symptoms:
- temperature rise;
- irritability and apathy;
- hyperhidrosis at night;
- headache;
- feeling of lack of air;
- tachycardia, shortness of breath;
- vomiting
- skin cyanosis.
With the advanced course of the pathology, the shape of the fingers and nails changes due to oxygen starvation of tissues.
What do these symptoms mean with calcifications in the lungs? A similar clinical picture indicates the process of replacing healthy organ tissues with areas that cannot fully provide gas exchange. Due to calcification, the respiratory surface of the lungs is reduced. As a result, the body ceases to receive oxygen in the required quantities.
From developing hypoxia, the central nervous system is primarily affected. The appearance of neurological symptoms is associated with oxygen deficiency. We are talking about apathy, weakness and increased fatigue.
When calcification is caused by systemic disorders of the body, other organs may be involved in the pathological process. Therefore, the symptoms of liver damage and renal failure often join these symptoms. With tuberculosis, an increase in lymph nodes can be noticed.
Diagnostic Methods
If symptoms of calcifications in the lungs appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. Diagnosis of this pathology is based on the study of patient complaints and radiographic studies. Calcium salts are X-ray positive. Therefore, their accumulations in the lungs are clearly visible in the picture. They are blackouts of irregular shape.
During the study of the image, the doctor should pay attention to the following factors: the amount of calcifications, their size and location. This is necessary to predict the course of pathology and prescribe the correct treatment. In addition, the location of the lesion is considered a diagnostic sign. For example, in the case of tuberculosis, they affect mainly the upper lobe of the lung. Calcifications in the lower organ segments usually indicate pneumonia.
After the detection of pathological foci, the patient is assigned a full examination, which includes:
- blood tests;
- bronchoscopy;
- tuberculin test;
- biopsy of foci of calcified tissue.
Based on the results of a comprehensive diagnosis, the doctor can prescribe a competent treatment.
Therapy Features
Treatment of calcifications in the lungs depends on the cause of the pathology. In each case, the course of therapy is prescribed individually. However, active treatment in most cases is not required. It is only necessary to control the growth of formations, their number. In addition, it is necessary to deal with improving immunity and the prevention of inflammatory ailments.
Intensive therapy is recommended only for severe structural changes in the lung tissue. For example, in case of tuberculosis or if it is suspected, patients are prescribed preventive anti-TB drugs (Isoniazid, Rifampicin). The course of admission is quite long and ranges from 6 to 12 months.
Infections of the respiratory organs, which include pneumonia, are treated with antibiotics ("Augmentin", "Sumamed"). In case of helminthic infestation, anthelmintic medicines are prescribed (Nemozol). In case of metabolic disturbances, medications to improve metabolism, calcium and vitamin complexes are usually recommended.
Surgical intervention is extremely rare and with impressive sizes of calcifications. Crushing deposits is considered inappropriate, since the decay products can not leave the body. It is worth noting that spontaneous resorption of salt formations is sometimes observed.
Maintenance therapy
Quite often, doctors prescribe the so-called maintenance therapy for the detection of calcifications in the lungs in adults. Its main goal is to maintain the patient’s performance. The most effective procedures include:
- vibration massage;
- reflexology;
- breathing exercises.
Vibration massage implies an effect on the tissues and organs of the patient through special devices. It has an anti-inflammatory effect, relieves pain. About the same goals are pursued by reflexology. The impact of leeches, laser beams or magnets on biologically important points helps to restore the patient's performance.
The basic principles of breathing exercises have been known for several centuries. Various techniques not only have a positive effect on internal organs, but also relieve fatigue and restore former vigor. However, before starting such treatment, you need to consult a doctor.
Help traditional medicine
How to treat calcifications in the lungs with folk remedies? Alternative therapy for this pathology is used only as an addition to the main course. Below we list the most popular recipes for folk doctors.
- Mix dried apricots, raisins, any nuts in the same proportion with the juice of half a lemon. Use the resulting mixture in a tablespoon before meals for a week.
- Grind a tablespoon of chicory and motherwort herb, pour 400 ml of boiling water, leave in a thermos. The entire volume of the resulting infusion should be consumed in the entire next day in small portions.
- Before going to bed, you can drink healing tea prepared on the basis of herbs and berries. To prepare it, you can mix blackcurrant, mint, chestnut flowers, strawberries and cranberries.
The listed recipes of traditional medicine help to increase the body's defenses and prevent the development of inflammation.
The consequences of pathology
When detecting calcifications in the lungs, it is necessary to constantly monitor their condition and development. In addition, the doctor must establish the cause of the pathology and select measures to prevent relapse. Among the negative consequences of this pathology, the growth and emergence of new deposits can be noted, as a result of which the full-fledged work of the respiratory system is disrupted.
The following disorders can also be complications:
- the appearance of respiratory failure;
- deterioration of health up to a decrease in performance;
- the risk of oncological processes in the body.
Prevention Methods
Preventive measures for calcifications are aimed at restoring respiratory function, strengthening immunity. These include:
- regular x-ray examination;
- compliance with the regime of work and rest;
- proper and balanced nutrition;
- refusal to work in hazardous production;
- timely treatment of inflammatory processes in the body.
Calcifications in the lungs are a serious pathology that affects the soft tissues of the organ. Even in the absence of obvious symptoms, it is necessary to undergo a course of treatment when these deposits are detected. Otherwise, respiratory failure cannot be avoided.