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The characteristics of lung disease are often overlooked, they are even considered to be ordinary illnesses and can heal on their own. In fact, lung disease must be detected as early as possible to prevent it from getting worse. Although each lung disease has unique symptoms, there are several characteristics that often appear and should be watched out for.

The characteristics of lung disease are generally typical of respiratory problems. This is because lung function is impaired. This condition can be triggered by several risk factors, such as exposure to cigarette smoke or toxic gas, hypertension, air pollution, or fungal and bacterial infections.

Even so, lung problems are not only characterized by breathing problems. Therefore, it is important to know and be aware of the characteristics of lung disease so that proper treatment can be taken to prevent complications, such as respiratory failure.

Various Characteristics of Lung Disease

The characteristics of lung disease are actually quite specific depending on the underlying disease, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, or pulmonary sarcoidosis. However, there are several signs and symptoms of lung disease that you need to be aware of, namely:

1. Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath is the first characteristic of lung disease. Shortness of breath will be characterized by difficulty breathing followed by an increase in breathing frequency. This condition is a sign that the body is lacking oxygen, so the body tries to get enough of it by breathing more frequently and deeper.

Some lung diseases that can cause shortness of breath are COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), pneumonia, and pulmonary edema (swelling of the lungs).

2. Coughing for a long time

A typical characteristic of lung disease is coughing for a long time, namely more than 8 weeks. A long cough can also be accompanied by phlegm. When it is severe enough, this condition can lead to coughing up blood. Coughing with blood is generally a characteristic of tuberculosis or TBC.

3. Breathing sounds (wheezing)

When lung disease is caused by a blockage or narrowing of the airways, the next characteristic will appear, namely the appearance of "whistling" or a whistling sound when inhaling or exhaling. These characteristics of lung disease are also called wheezing, which is a typical symptom of asthma.

4. Chest pain

Chest pain as a characteristic of lung disease can last more than 1 month. Pain also generally increases when inhaling or coughing. The chest pain that appears can feel sharp, stabbing, tight, or like burning. This characteristic can appear in several lung diseases, such as asthma, pneumonia, pleurisy, or pulmonary embolism.

5. Fingertips are convex

The next characteristic of lung disease is that the tips of the fingers or toes appear convex. This occurs when the amount of tissue under the nail bed increases until it bulges. Convex fingers often appear when there are lung problems, such as lung abscess, pulmonary fibrosis, or lung cancer.

However, convex fingertips are not typical of lung disease due to asthma and pneumonia.

6. The skin appears bluish

When the body lacks oxygen due to worsening lung function, symptoms of blue skin (cyanosis) appear. Apart from the skin, other body parts such as the lips, gums, tongue and fingernails can also appear blue.

Cyanosis is a characteristic of lung disease that is quite severe. This condition is also accompanied by symptoms of other lung diseases, such as wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and weakness.

7. Sleep apnea

Lung disease can also be characterized by sleep disorders sleep apnea. This condition occurs due to the muscles in the respiratory tract collapsing so that the body lacks oxygen. As a result, sufferers can suddenly stop breathing during sleep.

Sleep apnea is usually a symptom of lung disease due to asthma, pulmonary sarcoidosis, COPD, or interstitial lung disease (ILD).

8. Get tired more easily

Even though it is often associated as a symptom of anemia, getting tired easily is also a characteristic of lung disease. In fact, this characteristic is often neglected to be checked. The condition of the body which gets tired easily due to lung disease does not improve after rest or sleep. This is because weakened lung function means the body lacks oxygen and has no energy.

Apart from that, people with lung disease generally need to limit physical activity because it is difficult to breathe normally. As a result, the body becomes tired more easily. This condition can also be caused by lack of rest due to sleep disorders, insomnia or sleep apnea.

9. Drastic weight loss

Drastic weight loss is a sign of lung disease which is quite severe. This could be caused by several things. One of them, the volume of the lungs increases and reduces the distance to the stomach. As a result, the lungs and stomach press against each other and create discomfort when eating so that sufferers are reluctant to eat.

Accompanying respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath or chest pain, can also make sufferers feel too tired to cook or eat healthy portions. Apart from that, there are times when lung disease interferes with mental health which reduces appetite. As a result, your weight drops drastically.

If you experience the above characteristics of lung disease, see a doctor immediately. The sooner the cause is ascertained, the appropriate treatment can be given as soon as possible. So, more severe or dangerous lung disease conditions can be prevented.

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