Lung Disease

Lung disease is a large group of conditions that affect your lung structure, function, or both. Some lung diseases are genetic while others develop mainly because of lifestyle choices like cigarette smoking.

Thanks to advanced testing and treatment methods, lung disease is now detected much earlier and managed more effectively than it once was.

There are many types of lung disease, including:

• Asthma
• Bronchitis — acute and chronic
• Cystic fibrosis
• Emphysema
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — chronic bronchitis and emphysema
• Lung cancer
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Bronchiectasis
• Interstitial lung diseases — asbestosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sarcoidosis

While each lung disease is different in terms of underlying causes, the symptoms are usually similar.

Lung disease can trigger quite a few different debilitating symptoms, including:

• Trouble breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Cough — dry or mucus-producing
• Chest tightness, pressure, or discomfort

Many people with lung disease get fatigued very quickly, especially when exercising. With severe or late-stage lung disease, you may have great difficulty with simple daily routines.

Lung disease treatment depends in large part upon the specific type of disease, the stage of the disease, and the symptoms you experience.

Your commitment to treatment can also play a big role. For example, if you’re a cigarette smoker with a lung disease like COPD, quitting smoking is the best thing you can do. But, that requires a good smoking cessation program and continued effort to avoid cigarette smoking.

There are many treatments that can ease your symptoms and help you function better. A few of the most common treatments for lung disease include:

• Bronchodilator inhalers
• Antibiotics for infections
• Supplemental oxygen therapy
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine
• Vaccines — flu and pneumococcal disease (pneumonia) vaccines
• Hypertension medications
• Pulmonary rehabilitation

With most lung diseases, prevention and disease management are the best approach to treatment.

However, even with excellent disease management, you may have a medical crisis at some point. Should that occur, the critical care management team at Pulmonary Consultants of San Antonio has you covered.

Most of the team’s expert pulmonologists perform regular hospital rounds, so they can look after all your breathing and respiratory health needs while you’re in the hospital and then manage your follow-up care afterward.

For help with lung disease of any type, you can depend upon the area’s foremost specialists at Pulmonary Consultants of San Antonio. Book your appointment online or call the office today.