Diseases causing lung inflammation include infections (like pneumonia), autoimmune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus), chronic conditions (asthma, COPD), and environmental exposures (hypersensitivity pneumonitis, silicosis), leading to conditions like bronchitis, interstitial lung disease, and pneumonitis, characterized by airway narrowing, fluid buildup, or tissue damage, with symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
The two most common chronic respiratory diseases are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These both affect the airways in the lungs. Asthma is characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing due to airway narrowing, which vary in severity and frequency from person to person.
Pneumonitis (noo-moe-NIE-tis) is a general term that refers to swelling and irritation, also called inflammation, of lung tissue. Lung infections such as pneumonia also can cause lung tissue to become inflamed.
Lung disease can take many forms, including: Lung cancer. Lung infections such as influenza and pneumonia. Asthma and chronic bronchitis.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a category of conditions that cause inflammation and scarring in the lungs. This can lead to difficulty breathing and, eventually, heart failure. Autoimmune ILD is a specific type caused by autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and more.
As we all know, the Big 5 lung diseases - Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Acute Lower Respiratory Infections, Lung Cancer, and Tuberculosis - remain a significant public health challenge across our region.
The "worst" autoimmune diseases are subjective but often cited for severity, impact on life expectancy, or organ damage, with top contenders including Giant Cell Myocarditis (highly fatal), Vasculitis (damages blood vessels), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) (multi-organ), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (nervous system), and Type 1 Diabetes (pancreas, life-long management). Other severe conditions include Scleroderma and Myasthenia Gravis.
Dangerous Lung Diseases
Corticosteroids: These medications can help reduce harmful swelling in the lungs. They are often given at the outset of symptoms, sometimes with immunosuppressants. They can either be inhaled or taken orally. Patients may take them daily or as needed to treat a variety of conditions, such as asthma and COPD.
Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus (purulent material), causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, can cause pneumonia.
Heart and blood vessel disease
A chest CT also shows the heart, lungs and major blood vessels in the chest. It provides more detail than a standard chest X-ray for organs, blood vessels and bones in that area. Does a chest CT scan show inflammation and what organs are visible? Yes.
Symptoms can include skin rashes or raised bumps on the skin, joint pain or stiffness, eye irritation or dryness of the eyes and blurry vision. Some people experience severe disease in one or multiple organs. General symptoms of sarcoidosis can vary based on what organ(s) are impacted and include: Fatigue.
Clinically, acute inflammation is seen in pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), whereas chronic inflammation is represented by asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Some of the common signs and symptoms that develop during chronic inflammation are listed below.
The most common lung diseases include:
Medical imaging scans of the lungs in a person with COPD may show visible air pockets, a lowered or flattened diaphragm, and lung enlargement. The heart may also appear elongated, and CT scans may detect enlarged arteries. An X-ray may not show signs of COPD until the disease is more advanced.
The most noticeable symptom is a chronic cough, often one that produces mucus. As the disease progresses you may sometimes cough up blood. Other general symptoms that may help distinguish NTM from other lung diseases are a deep fatigue, low grade fever, night sweats and unexplained loss of appetite and weight.
The most common lung diseases (of all categories) include:
Tuberculosis, also called TB, is a serious illness that mainly affects the lungs. The germs that cause tuberculosis are a type of bacteria. Tuberculosis can spread when a person with the illness coughs, sneezes or sings. This can put tiny droplets with the germs into the air.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a rare lung disease that causes irreversible scarring of the lungs, which can cause shortness of breath and a persistent cough, and progressively gets worse over time. And because there is no cure, a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis can bring up a lot of emotions for both patients and caregivers.
Goodpasture syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder that affects both the lungs and kidneys. The immune system typically makes antibodies to fight off infection. But with Goodpasture syndrome, the immune system mistakenly makes antibodies that attack the lungs and kidneys.
Common symptoms of autoimmune disease include:
Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a rare genetic disorder associated with an excessive number of lymphocytes (lymphoproliferation), leading to enlargement of the lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) and the spleen (splenomegaly).
If you have a positive ANA test, an ENA test can check the blood for the presence of antinuclear antibodies that are known to be markers of certain diseases. The ENA test can help your health care team and your rheumatologist diagnose autoimmune diseases such as: Lupus.