Lung inflammation symptoms include abnormal breath sounds, pain, chest tenderness, and coughing. Causes include pneumonia, pleurisy, and tumors. Treatment options include rest, medications, fluids, and surgery. Symptoms can also include decreased appetite and accidental weight loss.
Symptoms of lung inflammation can include abnormal breath sounds, pain, chest tenderness, and coughing. A number of conditions can cause inflammation in the lungs and surrounding tissue, including pneumonia, pleurisy, and tumors. If a patient reports symptoms, a doctor may perform a physical exam, request medical imaging studies, and take a sputum sample for evaluation, depending on the symptoms. Treatment options may include rest, medications, fluids, and surgery to treat problems such as tumors or dead tissue causing inflammation.
When the lungs become inflamed, the tissue is flooded with white blood cells and other immune system agents. They can cause swelling and a buildup of fluid that interferes with lung function. The inflammation can be within the lung or in the pleural space. Some conditions cause very distinctive symptoms that make them easy to diagnose, while others may require close examination.
Difficulty breathing, along with coughing, wheezing, or whistling in the lungs, is a common symptom. Patients may have difficulty fully inflating the lungs or may cough in an effort to clear foreign particles or mucus buildup. Other symptoms of lung inflammation can include crackling or groaning sounds when breathing. If these are inaudible to the naked ear, a doctor may be able to listen to them on a stethoscope.
Patients may also develop chest tenderness which can make them reluctant to breathe deeply. Pleurisy, an inflammation in the pleural space, can cause a characteristic sharp, stabbing pain in the chest when patients breathe. These symptoms of lung inflammation can help a doctor narrow down the cause of the problem, which can be important for a treatment plan. To be sure, your doctor may order scans of your lungs to look for telltale signs such as fluid buildups or clear evidence of irritation and thickening in the tissues around your lungs.
Other symptoms of lung inflammation can include decreased appetite and accidental weight loss. Inflammation can depress appetite, especially if it persists over a long period of time, and can cause patients to lose interest in food and suddenly lose weight. This can be a concern for people who are already underweight, as they may be more at risk of complications if they lose more weight quickly. These symptoms of lung inflammation can make the patient look gaunt, especially around the face, if the patient does not receive early treatment to control appetite and stabilize weight loss.
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