Most of the time a random cough or noisy breathing is not something you’ll immediately pay attention to. However, in many cases underestimated symptoms like these can point to serious lung diseases, ones you want to diagnose and treat as soon as possible. The truth is lung diseases like asthma, bronchitis, or COPD are very insidious and, undiagnosed, can harm your overall health in many unexpected ways. Thus, make sure to know these crucial lung disease symptoms to catch and treat any lung disease while it’s still in the early stages.

Warning Signs Of Lung Disease:

Shortness of Breath: Breathlessness or shortness of breath can be described as difficulty or discomfort breathing. It is also sometimes described as “tightness in the chest.” The medical term for shortness of breath is dyspnea. Don’t get fooled, it is not only a symptom of being out of shape, but it could point to more serious lung conditions such as asthma, COPD, etc.

A Chronic Cough: A cough is considered chronic if it has been disturbing the patient for three months or longer. Although coughing is a normal reflex of the body that helps expel irritants from the airway and lungs, a persistent, chronic cough could be a sign of a serious lung disease. Oftentimes the cough may be painful and can cause soreness in the chest and abdominal muscles. If a cough is severe, it could have enough force to injure the chest wall or even break a person’s ribs. 

Chronic Mucus Production: Much like a cough, mucus, also called phlegm or sputum, is a naturally occurring function of the body that protects from infections or irritants. However, chronic mucus production in the lungs indicates that your body is fighting something off, which could be a warning sign of a more serious condition. Persistent mucus producing coughs that last for a month or longer could be signs of a lung disease.

Coughing up blood (hemoptysis): Blood in a cough could come from the lungs or upper respiratory tract. No matter where it comes from, a bloody cough is a sign of a health problem, and most likely a serious one.

Wheezing: Noisy breathing or wheezing is not just a symptom of being out of shape; it is a sign that something is blocking your airways or making them too narrow. While asthma is claimed to be the most common cause of wheezing, there are many other potential pulmonary causes that should be diagnosed.

Chronic chest pain: Chest pain that has lasted for a month or more, even if it is minor, is a warning sign of a lung disease. Especially if you have chest pain when you breathe in or cough there is likely an issue with your respiratory tract.  

 What To Do?

If you experience any abovementioned warning signs, do not procrastinate! Remember: early pulmonary disease detection contributes to an overall success of your healing process. Consider scheduling an appointment with one of our brilliant Pulmonary Associates of Brandon pulmonologists, who treat a vast array of pulmonary diseases and conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, acute and chronic respiratory failure, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, lung infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep disorders, and more!