According to statistics, about 90 percent of the population suffers from back pain. This also applies to older people and teenagers. This is often caused by pain in the lungs. It can occur as a result of certain diseases or damage to the thoracic spine or muscles that relate to it. Only a doctor can determine the exact cause.
Let's talk about how the lungs hurt with a particular disease. In addition, we will dwell on some methods of treatment and prevention.
Can the lungs hurt and how serious is it?
It's worth starting with the fact that the lungs can really hurt. Despite the fact that they do not have any nerve endings. The cause of discomfort can be hidden in inflammatory processes in the pleura, muscle tissue, diaphragm and some other organs. Even the appearance of slight discomfort may indicate the onset of the development of the disease. Most often, the lungs hurt when inhaling, since it is in thismoment they work to the maximum.
When a similar problem occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The situation is very serious, and in most cases medical intervention is necessary, otherwise the chances of recovery will be minimal. At the same time, self-treatment can not only not bring benefits, but also completely harm he alth.
So why do my lungs hurt? Let's take a closer look at some of the most common diseases.
Non-dangerous causes of lung pain
Despite the fact that there are many dangerous diseases, there are situations when special treatment is not required at all. If the lungs hurt when inhaling, then the following options may be the cause:
- Presence of intercostal neuralgia. In this case, the pain is acute, and it can be compared with a needle prick.
- Rapid increase in lung capacity. Most often this phenomenon occurs in adolescence.
- Overtraining. This is typical for people who play sports a lot and actively, since after it absolutely all muscle groups, including the lungs, can hurt.
In the absence of more serious symptoms of the disease, there is no need for medical treatment. It is enough just to have a good rest, go for a massage or a bath.
Dangerous causes of pain in the lungs
The question of whether the lungs can hurt, we figured it out. It remains to find out during which serious diseases this occurs. Worth it right awaysay that when making a diagnosis, it is necessary to take into account how the lungs hurt (acute or dull pain, during inspiration or all the time, and so on), as well as the presence of possible additional symptoms.
The most common diseases that are accompanied by pain in the lungs:
- dry pleurisy;
- pneumonia;
- flu;
- tuberculosis;
- rheumatism of the lungs;
- cancer;
- myocardial infarction;
- dry pericarditis.
Let's take a closer look at the symptoms and how to treat each of them.
Dry pleurisy
Dry pleurisy is most often secondary and can occur in parallel with pneumonia, pulmonary infarction, bronchiectasis, lung abscess, cancer, and so on. The disease is characterized by inflammation of the pleura (parietal and visceral), as well as the subsequent loss of fibrin on its surface.
Determining the beginning of dry pleurisy can be quite difficult, since in the first stages there are no special symptoms. But after some time there is an acute development of the disease. At the same moment, pains appear in the lungs during inhalation, coughing, sneezing, and also when pressing on the affected area. With dry pleurisy, pain in the armpit, abdomen and shoulder can be observed. In addition, the disease is accompanied by the appearance of a dry cough, the development of tachycardia, an increase in body temperature up to 39 degrees and the onset of fever.
Treatment of dry pleurisy in the first placeprovides for getting rid of the root cause of the disease. It is also possible to use analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antitussive drugs. During the acute period of the disease, it is desirable to maintain bed rest and use a variety of warming compresses, cans, mustard plasters.
Inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia)
Patients may say that they have pain in the right lung, the left, or both. As a result, a conclusion is made about possible unilateral or bilateral pneumonia. Also, depending on where the lungs hurt, you can determine the approximate location of the inflammatory processes.
The disease is usually accompanied by fever up to 39.5 degrees, severe cough, sputum production. Patients complain that during a deep breath they have pain in the lungs. Usually discomfort is felt within the affected area.
Why do lungs hurt with pneumonia? The answer is obvious: due to the presence of inflammatory processes in the tissues.
There are situations when there are no symptoms of the disease. In this case, pneumonia is detected too late, and this can lead to the development of complications due to the lack of timely treatment. Treatment of pneumonia involves the use of drugs based on penicillin ("Flemoxin", "Ampicillin", etc.), as well as second and third generation antibiotics. In some cases, antiviral or antifungal drugs may be used.
Flu
So infectiousan illness, like the flu, can also cause discomfort and pain in the lungs. The disease begins very rapidly and sharply. The flu is accompanied by an increase in temperature up to 38-40 degrees, the appearance of a headache, nasal congestion, hoarseness, a feeling of severe weakness and weakness. In addition, there is pain in the eyeballs, which increases markedly during eye movement, as well as lacrimation and photophobia. Often there are manifestations of intoxication of the body and catarrhal syndrome. Dry cough in moderate to severe influenza can cause severe chest pain that starts in the trachea and spreads to the lungs.
Treatment of the disease involves several directions at once: strengthening the immune system, detoxifying the body, increasing its protective functions and fighting the virus itself. The drug "Antigrippin" is widely known, which helps to get rid of headaches, reduce signs of toxicosis and stop the spread of inflammatory processes.
If a mild form of the flu can be treated at home, then a severe one must be in the hospital. Constant medical supervision will help to avoid all sorts of complications. It is very important to observe bed rest and take a large amount of drink with vitamins (fruit juices, rosehip infusion, teas, compotes).
Tuberculosis
The disease is caused by tuberculosis bacilli. People with reduced immunity are most susceptible to it.
Tuberculosis symptoms may vary depending on the degreethe severity of the disease. In any of the cases, there is a noticeable decrease in appetite, fatigue and a feeling of weakness, increased sweating and the appearance of chills. The temperature during tuberculosis rises to no more than 38 degrees, and the main feature is that it does not disappear for a very long time.
Another important point is the appearance of a cough, during which the lungs hurt in the back and front at the same time. In addition, with tuberculosis, the outgoing sputum may be contaminated with blood. In such a situation, urgent medical intervention is necessary, as there is a great danger to life.
For the treatment of the disease, 4-5 anti-tuberculosis drugs are used simultaneously. In addition, patients must be prescribed breathing exercises and physiotherapy, as well as drugs that increase immunity.
Pulmonary rheumatism
Today, the disease is rare. There are other names for it: pneumonitis, lung rheumatism, rheumatic pulmonary vasculitis. The disease is characterized by the appearance of weakness and shortness of breath, fever, tachycardia, increased ESR, neutrophilic leukocytosis. In addition, there are difficulty in breathing and the appearance of wheezing.
Anti-rheumatic therapy is used for treatment, and all the above symptoms disappear very quickly. The main thing here is to start treatment on time and prevent the occurrence of complications that can provoke pneumonia.
Lung Cancer
This is one of the most dangerous diseases. With cancer, malignant tumors form in the tissues of the lung. The disease is accompanied by shortness of breath, severe cough, the presence of blood in sputum, weight loss. In addition, secondary symptoms are often present, such as fatigue, apathy, unexplained fever, voice change and hoarseness.
How do lungs hurt during cancer? It is worth noting that the discomfort at the beginning of the disease will be only on the affected side. Over time, the pains increase significantly and are observed not only during coughing, but also simply when inhaling and exhaling.
The treatment of lung cancer can consist of a complex of various methods: radiation, surgery, chemotherapy. The necessary therapy option is selected based on the severity of the disease, the location and size of the tumor, the general condition of the patient, and so on.
Heart disease: myocardial infarction and dry pericarditis
Although these two diseases differ in their basic symptoms, they share several common symptoms. This is a constant pain in the chest, which is markedly increased by coughing, sneezing, deep breathing, and even a change in body position. In addition, it can pass into the arm, shoulder, jaw and neck.
To eliminate the symptoms of diseases, antianginal ("Nitroglycerin") and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ("Ibuprofen", "Indomethacin") are used. In the absence of effectiveness from the use of the above funds, the patient is prescribedglucocorticosteroids ("Prednisolone").
Treatment of pain in the lungs
As you can see, there can be many answers to the question why the lungs hurt. What to do to alleviate your condition? Unfortunately, no one can give an exact answer, since such pains are the result of a disease. Therefore, the only thing that needs to be done is to consult a doctor in time to establish an accurate diagnosis and, if necessary, prescribe medications or procedures for treatment.
In addition, only a specialist, focusing on how the lungs hurt, is able to immediately determine the nature of the disease: the presence of inflammatory processes or damage to bone or muscle tissue in the thoracic spine.
There is also no single method of preventing pain in the lungs, since the causes of the above diseases can be varied: from a cold, which resulted in complications (flu, pneumonia) and ending, for example, with a strong stressful situation, causing heart problems. Therefore, the only thing that can be said in this situation is: take care of yourself and listen carefully to your body.
Be he althy!
