How To Prevent Lung Disease – The average person takes thousands of breaths a day. But, for some, every breath can be a struggle.
And while COVID-19 has raised more awareness about lung health and how serious the disease can affect your lungs, many other conditions can affect your lungs.
How To Prevent Lung Disease
Some lung diseases are caused by bacterial, viral or fungal infections, while others may be related to environmental factors. But they all prevent the lungs from working properly.
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Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the two most common respiratory conditions in the U.S., each affecting about 20 million people. Both conditions make breathing difficult. People with COPD may have emphysema or chronic bronchitis, or a combination of the two conditions.
Acute bronchitis is a common type of respiratory disease. This happens when inflammation of the lining of your bronchial tubes produces mucus that can cause a severe cough.
Another common respiratory disease is pneumonia, which can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. If left untreated, pneumonia can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), or a severe form of respiratory failure.
“Lung abscesses can also develop as a result of pneumonia,” says Northwestern Medicine thoracic surgeon Samuel S. Kim, MD. “This is an infected fluid that builds up around your lungs and may require antibiotics or surgical intervention to clear the lungs.”
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Pneumonia can also cause pleural effusion, which is an accumulation of fluid in the chest area outside the lungs. Serious complications can include pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs.
Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S. Smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer. However, environmental factors such as exposure to secondhand smoke, radon, asbestos and even air pollution can also increase your risk.
Dr. Kim encourages people who are at high risk of developing lung cancer, such as those who smoke heavily or have a history of smoking, to talk to their doctor about lung cancer screening. “Northwestern Medicine is at the forefront of lung cancer screening,” he said. “You may qualify for a CT scan, which uses a very small dose of radiation to find lung tumors.”
If a lymph nodule is found, next steps may include active monitoring or biopsy. Specialists at Northwestern Medicine use advanced lung biopsy technology.
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“The most important thing is to be aware of the risk of lung disease, like smoking,” said Dr. Kim. “It’s important to contact your doctor because the sooner we find these things, the sooner we can intervene and make a difference in terms of survival.”
“There is a sense of harm associated with inhaling chemicals. It usually causes inflammation of the lungs, but it is not known to what extent,” he said. “If you put something in your body unintentionally entering it, like chemicals, has consequences.”
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Work Related Lung Disease
Read more about Driver Rehabilitation Programs Paving the Way to Greater Mobility and Independent Driver Rehabilitation Programs Paving the Way to Greater Mobility and Independence The impact of a driver rehabilitation program extends far beyond the steering wheel. Your lungs are always working, but you know how critical they are until they fail you. We all have a cold or flu from time to time and suffer from cough and shortness of breath. Fortunately, these temporary lung problems go away.
So what do you need to know about the different types of lung conditions, their causes and how to prevent them? Shannon Carson, MD, chief of the division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, helped break it down.
Risk factors: Everyone is at risk for respiratory infections, but certain conditions can put people at greater risk. These conditions include:
How to avoid respiratory diseases: “Most common respiratory diseases are always viral, so things people can do to prevent that include avoiding close contact with people who have respiratory diseases and frequent hand washing, especially during flu season.”But the most important way to protect yourself is to get a flu shot every year,” says Dr. Carson.
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Getting a flu shot helps protect against three or four common flu viruses each season.
Respiratory illnesses, like the flu, are highly contagious. Getting a flu shot helps protect against three or four common flu viruses each season. People with chronic lung disease, heart or kidney disease, or a compromised immune system and adults over the age of 65 are also at greater risk of bacterial pneumonia. These people should get vaccines for pneumococcal pneumonia, the most common cause of pneumonia in adults.
What it is: Asthma is a chronic condition that causes the airways to swell, narrow and produce more mucus when you inhale environmental pollutants such as smoke, dust or mold. This congestion makes it difficult to breathe.
How to prevent asthma: Although you can’t prevent asthma, learning what factors make your asthma worse can help prevent asthma attacks. It can also be controlled with medication. The medicine can be given by inhaler, injection or orally in tablets or liquids. Over-the-counter medications are not recommended for asthma, so talk to your pulmonologist about which medications are best for you.
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“If people have trouble breathing and are crying, they should see a pulmonologist so they can be diagnosed and started on the right medication. A pulmonologist can also help them find out what kinds of things are in their environment may exacerbate their asthma symptoms,” said Dr. Carson.
What it is: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a chronic, progressive lung disease that makes breathing difficult. COPD causes the airways to become inflamed, and the small air sacs that allow oxygen to enter the blood, called alveoli, are destroyed. This means that less oxygen enters the body, and it is difficult to remove carbon dioxide. COPD is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Symptoms of COPD: Shortness of breath, especially on exertion, sometimes accompanied by wheezing and coughing with excess phlegm.
How to prevent COPD: About 90 percent of people who experience COPD are smokers, so the condition is largely preventable by avoiding tobacco.
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“Non-smokers should not start, and any ex-smoker should try to quit,” said Dr. Carson.
What it is: Lung cancer is cancer that starts in one or both lungs. It usually occurs in people who smoke, but it can also affect non-smokers. In fact, if lung cancer in non-smokers had its own category, it would be one of the 10 deadliest cancers in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
Symptoms of lung cancer: Coughing up bloody sputum, shortness of breath or chest pain, or unexplained weight loss.
How to prevent lung cancer: Quit smoking—now. People over the age of 50 who smoke or smoke should consider getting tested, says Dr. Carson. “Now we can check if there is early lung cancer, which if detected will lead to early treatment,” he said. “The key is to get tested before you have symptoms.”
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Talk to your doctor to find out if lung cancer screening is right for you. We offer lung cancer screening through UNC Cancer Care and UNC REX Cancer Care.
For non-smokers, reducing your exposure to other lung cancer risk factors such as secondhand smoke, radon, secondhand smoke and pollution can help prevent cancer.
What it is: Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that occurs in the arteries between your lungs and the right side of your heart, which can lead to heart failure.
Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension: Increased shortness of breath during exercise and at the end of rest, fatigue, chest pain and dizziness.
Tips That May Help Prevent Lung Disease
How to prevent pulmonary hypertension: Although not all cases of pulmonary hypertension can be prevented, lifestyle habits such as avoiding smoking and staying active can help prevent the condition. As with asthma, medications can also help manage pulmonary hypertension. “Adults who have shortness of breath with exercise or even walking should be evaluated,” said Dr. Carson.
What it is: A sleep disorder that causes breathing to start and stop during sleep. This happens when the throat muscles relax and block your airway.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea: Severe daytime fatigue, loud snoring, when you stop breathing during sleep, or suddenly waking up gasping or choking.
How to prevent obstructive sleep apnea: Obesity is the main cause of obstructive sleep apnea, Dr. Carson said, which makes maintaining a healthy weight important to reduce your risk.
Respiratory Lung Disease Medical Checkup. Virus Epidemic 2020 Vector Poster Stock Vector
Shannon Carson, MD, chief of the Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine. Respiratory diseases (also called
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