When the lungs become swollen and inflamed your airways may feel constricted making it harder to breathe. Breathing problems can affect your daily function and symptoms should not be ignored. Smoking and other irritants like bacteria, mold, birds, and some types of cancer treatments and drugs can be harmful to your lungs. Breathing problems can also develop with cystic fibrosis, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Potential Lung Problems That Need Treatment
Pneumonia– Arises from an infection in one or both of your lungs leading to inflammation of your alveoli (small air sacs) lining your lungs. This can happen because of bacteria, viruses or fungi. Pneumonia can feel like a cold but should not be ignored as it kills more people around the globe than any other illness.
Asthma– Arises when the linings of your bronchial tubes become inflamed and constricted from irritants, leaving you with shortness of breath and wheezing.
Collapsed Lung – Also called pneumothorax, it arises when air collects in the space in the pleura, the two-layer membrane surrounding your lungs, pressing on the lungs and leading to a collapse. This leaves you with a sharp chest pain that makes it hard to cough or breathe deeply. It can happen from a chest or lung injury, a fractured rib.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – Inflamed bronchial tubes, a rise in mucus production leading to a stiffening of the lung’s air sacs, leaving you short of breath that gets worse when you cough.
If you find yourself struggling to breathe, are constantly fatigued or coughing, or you find yourself with a weak appetite and losing weight, these are all symptoms of possible lung inflammation. Our internist, Dr. John Abroon in New York, New York can assess your lung health through tests and provide effective treatment as needed. Dr. Abroon is equipped to get you the care you need, whether it is oxygen therapy, corticosteroids or home remedies such as pollen masks and changes in your habits.
If your symptoms require a lung inflammation assessment or pulmonary function testing (PFT), Dr. Abroon can give you a thorough examination and create a plan to ease your symptoms and address your illness. We welcome you to give us a call today at (212) 288-0900 if you are experiencing breathing issues or have other health concerns.