Lung disease is one of the top diseases in the United States today. Lung disease is on the rise worldwide. Factors such as air quality play a vital role in the increase in lung disease. Living with lung disease can be tremendously difficult, affecting daily life and the ability to do normal daily activities.
Symptoms of lung disease can vary, depending on the lung disease which has been contracted. Most lung diseases cause difficulty breathing, coughing, airway constriction, and a heavy or tight feeling in the chest. Some lung disease symptoms include fevers, weakness, heart rhythm problems or palpitations, or even blue tinting of the extremities.
Lung diseases such as lung cancers have various causative factors including, cigarette smoking, environmental or occupational exposures, and can be developed after a different type of cancer has been discovered elsewhere in the body. Asthma has hereditary factors, can be caused by second hand smoke or allergies, or other environmental factors. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is usually caused by smoking cigarettes, although the chronic inhalation of marijuana can cause lung cancer and COPD. Lung diseases such as tuberculosis and legionnaires disease are caused by an infection and can be treated with very aggressive antibiotics.
There are various risk factors for lung disease, most of which are environmental, although heredity does play a role in some lung diseases such as asthma. Environmental factors include smoking or exposure to second hand smoke, exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos or chemical treatments for fiberglass, allergies, bacteria, or viruses. For instance, asthma can be triggered by second hand smoke, smoking, or allergies but can also have hereditary risk factors. Asbestos exposure creates a serious risk factor for Mesothelioma, a rare but fatal lung cancer.
Diagnosing lung disease requires a physical examination and may require tests which include chest x-rays, blood tests, and lung function tests. Asthma may be diagnosed after a physical examination, listening to the lungs of the patient to detect any wheezing, and a spirometry test which is nothing more complicated than measuring the rate of air flow expelled from the lungs. Diagnosing lung cancer is typically done with x-rays of the chest and blood tests. Phlegm may be tested for cancerous cells, a bronchoscopy or a needle biopsy may be performed, and most doctors will perform a CT scan to take detailed pictures of the inside of the lung.
Complications from lung disease can be widespread, including heart problems related from a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. Numbness in cold weather and tingling of the extremities can also happen due to a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. Lung disease can deteriorate the quality of life for the patient, and may eventually lead to death. While it is very rare, fatal asthma attacks have been known to occur. Lung cancer may lead to death if the cancer either can not be controlled or spreads throughout the body.
Treatment for lung disease varies by the type of disease. Asthma suffers typically use an inhaler which delivers medication straight into the bronchioles and opens the airway. Oral medication is now proving to be effective in dealing with asthma. Infectious lung diseases such as tuberculosis and legionnaires disease require high dose antibiotics. Lung cancer is often treated with either radiation treatments, chemotherapy, surgical procedures, or a combination of all three. Lung disease is a serious health risk that costs billions of dollars per year to treat, and researchers are searching for better and more effective treatments for lung disease regularly.
It is important that individuals with lung disease provide ample self care. Avoiding behaviors which are known to irritate the condition is just practical. People with lung disease should never smoke, avoid second hand smoke, avoid situations that are likely to pass germs from human to human contact or large crowded indoor areas that are likely to carry air born germs, and allergens which may affect the ability to breathe.
Coping with lung disease can be difficult and may affect every factor of daily life. Creating a comfortable sleeping environment, whether that means the use of a fan, dehumidifier, or vaporizer, is vital. Taking the appropriate medications when prescribed is also vital, whether or not the patient is symptomatic at the moment. Listening to the physician’s advice regarding diet and exercise can make a tremendous difference in the life of a lung disease sufferer.
Lung diseases videos
Lung Recruitment
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Tong Ren Testimonial _ Lung Cancer
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http://www.youtube.com/v/FmjUrcd7zt4
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lung cancer and cantron
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http://www.youtube.com/v/Z6-B4pZp86Q
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lung cancer and CT scan
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http://www.youtube.com/v/mqVGI7h5Un8
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Vascular stapler in experimental lung transplant
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http://www.youtube.com/v/fVJzsE9ftSY
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Lung transplantation
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http://www.youtube.com/v/nLaCP5axnrg
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Lung Cancer Bronchoscopy
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Find out more by viewing the Human Anatomy page:
Respiratory System
Medication commonly used for these disease:
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Allegra, which is generically prescribed as fexofenadine, is commonly used to treat the symptoms of allergies. It blocks the histamine that causes itching, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and coughing. It is a member of the family of medication more...
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Ceftin can be generically prescribed as cefuroxime and is commonly used to treat life threatening or severe bacterial infections, or bacterial infections which have not responded to other antibiotics. Ceftin does not work on fungal or viral infections. Ce more...
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Cleocin is an antibiotic commonly used to treat bacterial infections and can be generically prescribed as clindamycin. Cleocin may cause diarrhea, which may or may not be a sign of a secondary infection. Patients should alert the prescribing physician sho more...
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Sporanox can also be generically prescribed as itraconazole and is commonly used to treat three types of very serious fungal infections. Infections such as blastomycosis, which infects the lungs, bones, and skin, histoplasmosis, which affects the lungs, h more...
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Levaquin is often generically prescribed as levofloxacin and can be used to treat pneumonia, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, bronchitis, skin infections, urinary tract infections, and other bacterial infections. Levaquin is in a class of antibiotics known as fluoro more...
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Amoxicillin is the generic form of antibiotics which are also prescribed as Morisot, Amoxil, Biomox, Dispermox, Trimox, and Wymox. It is commonly used to treat bacterial infections in the body. Infections such as gonorrhea, skin infection, tooth infection more...
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Kenalog, which is generically prescribed as triamcinolone topical, is commonly used to treat inflammation of the skin. Kenalog is most commonly used to treat inflammation caused by allergic reactions, psoriasis, eczema, and in the dental form is used to t more...
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Allegra D 24 hour is generically prescribed as fexofenadine and psudoephedrine. Allegra D 24 hour is commonly used to treat the symptoms of allergies such as sneezing, coughing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes. Allegra D 24 hour is both an antihistamin more...
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The antibiotic Cipro can also be generically prescribed as ciprofloxacin, and is part of the group of medications known clinically as fluoroquinolones. Cipro is most often used to treat bacterial infections in the body, as antibiotics are ineffective at t more...
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Singulair is generically prescribed as montelukast and is commonly used to treat allergies and prevent asthma attacks. Singulair is part of the family of medications known as leukotriene inhibitor, which means they affect the leukotreines in the body whic more...
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