KONTAN.CO.ID – JAKARTA. Lung disease is a health problem that affects the respiratory organs. When exposed to lung disease, a person generally has difficulty breathing.
Some of the most common types of lung diseases are asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, cancer, sarcoidosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Launch Women’s Health, there are several things that can increase a person’s risk of developing lung disease. These include smoking, exposure to radon gas, exposure to asbestos, frequent exposure to air pollution, or being infected with germs (bacteria, viruses, and fungi).
To note, here are some signs of lung disease that are often not realized:
1. Cough doesn’t go away
Coughing is usually an indication that the respiratory tract is experiencing trouble. However, you must be vigilant if your cough doesn’t go away or is chronic. Launching the American Lungs Association, coughing for more than eight weeks can be a symptom of lung disease.
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2. Shortness of breath
In addition to a persistent cough, the characteristic of lung disease that is commonly felt by sufferers is shortness of breath. Sometimes, a person may become short of breath due to strenuous exercise or experience excessive stress.
However, people with lung disease may experience shortness of breath or find it difficult to catch their breath when doing light activity. There are even sufferers who are constantly short of breath even when resting or are lying down. This condition can be a sign of lung disease such as asthma or COPD, especially in women.
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3. Excessive sputum production
Mucus from the respiratory tract or phlegm is a fluid the body produces to defend itself against infection or irritation. When there is a bacterial, viral, fungal, or allergic source, the body immediately produces phlegm.
However, you need to be vigilant if the excessive sputum production lasts more than one month. This condition can be a symptom of lung disease. Sometimes excessive phlegm production also makes people with lung disease have a hoarse voice.
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4. Much
Noises that come out when the body is having trouble catching your breath or wheezing can be a sign of lung disease such as asthma. Wheezing occurs when the airways of the lungs are narrowed or blocked by something.
5. Coughing up blood
Signs of severe lung disease include coughing up blood. This condition is usually experienced by people with lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. The blood that comes out with this cough is usually bright red, brown, or mixed with mucus.
6. Chest pain
Chest pain isn’t the only sign of heart disease. Sometimes, chest pain can also be a symptom of lung disease. This chest pain sometimes radiates to the shoulder, when a part of the lung organs becomes inflamed.
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Watch out for chest pain or shoulder pain that lasts more than a month. Especially if the pain gets worse when used to breathe or cough.
7. Nails or lips turn pale
Launch TheHealthy, lack of oxygen due to problematic respiratory organs can cause some parts of the body to change color to become paler. Notice if your lips, nail beds, or palms look bluish, grayish, or dark purple in color. Some of these body parts will turn paler as the disease progresses.
8. Weight loss for no apparent reason
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are often characterized by unexplained weight loss. This weight loss occurs because the body’s organs are not able to work efficiently.
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The body constantly burns more calories just doing basic tasks like breathing. As an illustration, people with COPD while breathing can burn 10 times more calories than people without lung disease.
9. Often tired
Symptoms of lung disease can also be recognized by fatigue all the time or frequent fatigue. This fatigue generally does not heal after the body is used to sleep or rest for a long time.
People with lung disease are often tired because the function of the respiratory organs has decreased.
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10. Feet swelling and pain
Another sign of lung disease that should not be underestimated is swelling of one or both legs. Swollen feet are plural due to blood clots in the legs or deep vein thrombosis.
This clot can be dangerous when it breaks and gets into the lungs. As a result, sufferers can experience pulmonary embolism or blood clots that block blood flow to the lungs.
Pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. The main features of pulmonary embolism are shortness of breath and acute chest pain. Immediately consult a doctor if there are some of the symptoms of lung disease above.
This health problem can be detected through a physical examination, CT-scan, and lung function tests.
This article has been published on Kompas.com with the title “10 Signs of Lung Disease that Shouldn’t be Underestimated“
Author: Mahardini Nur Afifah
Editor: Mahardini Nur Afifah
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Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie
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