Health Blog Details

Any disease that prevents your lungs from working properly is called lung disease. Lung diseases symptoms include difficulty breathing, persistent cough, weight loss, fatigue, chest pain, excessive mucus production, etc.

There are three types of lung diseases

• Airway Diseases: Any disease that affects your airways that carry oxygen and other gases in and out of the lungs come under airway diseases. They usually cause your airways to narrow or be blocked. Airways diseases include asthma, COPD, bronchiolitis etc.&
• Lung Tissue Diseases: Any disease that affects the structure of the lung tissue is called lung tissue diseases. In such cases, the tissues become scarred or inflamed, and your lungs will not be able to expand fully, making it difficult for the lungs to take in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. They include diseases like pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis etc.
• Lung Circulation Diseases: These diseases include the ones that affect the blood vessels in your lungs. It may be due to clotting, scarring, or inflammation of the blood vessels. These diseases may also eventually affect your heart function.

Many lung diseases involve a combination of these three types. Here is a common lung diseases list:

Asthma

It is a condition where your airways narrow and swells which can also produce extra mucus. It can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. For some people, asthma may be just a minor nuisance, but it can also be a major problem that interferes with your daily activities or lead to a life-threatening asthma attack. This is why asthma can be included in the list of deadly lung diseases too.

As for treatment, asthma is not a lung disease that can be cured, but the symptoms can be controlled. As asthma often changes over time, it is imperative that you constantly work with a specialist at the best pulmonology hospital to track your signs and symptoms and adjust your treatment. Your doctor can help in prevention and long-term control to stop the asthma attack before they start. Treatment for asthma usually involves learning to recognize your triggers, taking steps to avoid triggers and tracking your breathing to make sure that your medicines are working. In case of a sudden flare-up, you may need to use a quick-relief inhaler.

If your asthma is triggered or worsened by allergies, your doctor might prescribe you allergy medications. In case the asthma is severe and does not improve with inhaled corticosteroids or other long-term asthma medications, you might need a bronchial thermoplasty.

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs. It is usually caused due to long-term exposure to certain gases or particulate matter, mostly cigarette smoke. People with COPD are at an increased risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer and other conditions.

Currently, there is no cure for COPD, but proper treatment can help slow its progression and control the symptoms. Treatments include stopping smoke, inhalers and tablets, pulmonary rehabilitation, surgery, or lung transplant.

Pulmonary Edema

Pulmonary Edema is a condition caused when there is too much fluid in the lungs. This fluid collects in the air sacs inside the lungs. Usually, they are caused by heart problems or other reasons like pneumonia, contact with toxins, medications, a trauma in the chest wall etc.

The first treatment given for acute pulmonary edema is oxygen, sometimes given with the assistance of machines like a mechanical ventilator, or one that provides positive airway pressure. Other treatments include medications like diuretics, blood pressure drugs, inotropes or morphine. 

Causes of lung diseases include air pollution, smoking, and infection. Genetics also plays a key role in causing them. Then there are occupational lung diseases caused due to repeated and long-term exposure to certain irritants. Coal miners and people working in car garages and textile factories are all prone to hazardous chemicals, dust, and fibers that may lead to a lifetime of lung problems.

Lung diseases are some of the most common medical conditions in the world. If not diagnosed or treated properly, these lung diseases can turn serious and prove deadly for you. Keep on the lookout for common symptoms of lung diseases and make sure you visit a specialist in case you have trouble breathing.