A Breathtaking Discovery | New England Journal of Medicine
How Lupus Affects The Lungs And Pulmonary System
Inflammation caused by lupus may affect the lungs in many ways, and can involve the membrane lining of the lungs, the lungs themselves, the blood vessels within the lungs, and the diaphragm.
PleuritisThe most common way that lupus can affect your lungs is through inflammation of the pleura, the lining that covers the outside of the lungs. The symptom of pleuritis that you may experience is severe, often sharp, stabbing pain in a specific area or areas of your chest. The pain, which is called pleurisy, is made worse when you take a deep breath, cough, sneeze, or laugh. You may also experience shortness of breath. Sometimes an abnormal amount of fluid will build up in the space between your lungs and your chest wall; when it leaks out it is called a pleural effusion. Pain from pleurisy, with or without effusions, is found in 40 to 60 percent of people with lupus.
PneumonitisThe term for inflammation within the lung tissue is pneumonitis. The symptoms of pneumonitis that you may experience are fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, and cough. An infection caused by bacteria, virus, or fungi is the most common cause of pneumonitis.
Chronic diffuse interstitial lung diseaseWhen inflammation in the lungs is chronic, it can cause scarring. This scar tissue can prevent oxygen from moving easily from your lungs into your blood and may cause diffuse (widespread) interstitial lung disease. The symptoms that you may experience include a chronic dry cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing during physical activity.
Pulmonary emboliBlood clots that block the arteries leading to the lungs are called pulmonary emboli. These blood clots will cause chest pain and shortness of breath, but can also lead to a decrease in oxygen flow in your lungs. You are at increased risk for pulmonary emboli if you have antiphospholipid antibodies, vascular damage, and/or an inactive lifestyle.
Lung Disease News
Apr. 16, 2024 — A recent breakthrough study has shown potential to improve therapeutic outcomes for patients suffering from lung ...
Apr. 12, 2024 — A recent study uncovers a pathway used during normal wound healing that has the potential to reverse ...
Apr. 11, 2024 — Although lung cancer is traditionally thought of as a 'smoker's disease,' a surprising 15-20% of newly diagnosed lung cancers occur in people who have never smoked, many of whom are in ...
Apr. 10, 2024 — Findings show a newly created drug can prevent runaway inflammation while still allowing the immune system to handle the virus, even when given late into ...
Apr. 10, 2024 — One of the molecules responsible for triggering the inflammation that causes allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, has just been discovered. This molecule, from the ...
Apr. 4, 2024 — Researchers have made a breakthrough into how two chronic respiratory diseases in childhood affect the immune system, paving the way for better ...
Mar. 29, 2024 — Branching patterns are prevalent in our natural environment and the human body, such as in the lungs and kidneys. For example, specific genes that express growth factor proteins are known to ...
Mar. 26, 2024 — A new study suggest that using CXCL9 and CXCL10-producing dendritic cells alongside immunotherapy can be a promising strategy to overcome treatment resistance and improve clinical outcomes for ...
Mar. 25, 2024 — By evaluating sound vibrations produced by the airflow induced within the lungs and bronchial tree during normal breathing as well as those produced by the larynx during vocalizations, doctors can ...
Mar. 21, 2024 — New research finds a direct communication path between the lungs and the brain which may change the way we treat respiratory infections and chronic conditions. The lungs are using the same sensors ...
Mar. 15, 2024 — Researchers have discovered a potential way to predict which patients with severe COVID-19 are likely to recover well and which are likely to suffer 'long-haul' lung problems. That finding ...
Mar. 12, 2024 — Researchers may have discovered a mechanical explanation for instability observed in the lungs in cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), particularly in the aftermath of respiratory ...
Mar. 11, 2024 — Scientists trained a machine-learning algorithm to predict accurately brain metastasis using biopsy samples from early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients. It was also highly accurate in ...
Mar. 6, 2024 — Study in mice reveals novel gasping reflex triggered by cells in the lungs when the airway is ...
Feb. 28, 2024 — Researchers built a new atlas of lung cells, uncovering new cellular pathways and precursors in the development of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. These findings open the ...
Feb. 15, 2024 — Biomedical engineers have developed a technique that uses inhalation of exosomes, or nanobubbles, to directly deliver IL-12 mRNA to the lungs of ...
Feb. 14, 2024 — Scientists have long thought of the fluid-filled sac around our lungs merely as a cushion from external damage. Turns out, it also houses potent virus-eating cells that rush into the lungs during flu ...
Feb. 12, 2024 — New research finds that premature lungs become stiffer than adult lungs under stress. This disrupts the function of transporters that are important for removing water from the lungs after ...
Feb. 8, 2024 — Lung tumors called adenocarcinomas sometimes respond to initially effective treatments by transforming into a much more aggressive small cell lung cancer (SCLC) that spreads rapidly and has few ...
Feb. 7, 2024 — Scientists discovered a novel self-perpetuating cancer mechanism in the lung microenvironment, wherein EGFR-driven lung adenocarcinoma cells exploit lung-resident macrophages -- remodeling them to ...
What Causes Lung Pain In The Back?
There are several reasons you may be feeling pain in and around the back of your lungs.
This pain may be due to injuries or disturbances in the lining of your lungs (the pleura) or the bones and muscles surrounding the organs. Persistent coughs can even cause back pain in the back of your lungs.
However, your lungs have very few pain receptors, and people often refer to more general chest pains as lung pains.
InjuryLung pain in your back may also be the result of an injury.
Physical trauma that affects the lining of your lungs, or the bones and muscles surrounding them, may lead to pain in a particular area.
In cases of severe injury, a broken rib can puncture one of your lungs. These punctures can heal on their own but may require emergency surgery.
InfectionsInfections in the lungs and their lining can cause pain and discomfort when you breathe.
Pleurisy, which is inflammation in the lining of the lungs, can cause sharp pains in the back and chest. This can often be the result of a viral or bacterial infection.
Asthma, a chronic, long-term infection of the lung, may also cause pain in your back.
Costochondritis is inflammation of rib cage cartilage. This can be the result of injury, infection, or irritation.
The condition can cause sharp, intense pain or may develop gradually. If you experience costochondritis in the back of your ribs, this may feel like a pain in the back of your lungs.
Learn more about lung infections here.
ScoliosisScoliosis is when the spine curves in an abnormal way.
Severe scoliosis can change the structure of the chest and affect lung function. Typically, curving of the spine will restrict lung size, which can cause pain in the lung lining and surrounding muscles.
Learn more about scoliosis pain here.
Pulmonary embolismA pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that occurs in the lungs. The most common symptom of a pulmonary embolism is shortness of breath, but it can also cause pain throughout the chest and upper back.
Blood clots in the lung are a medical emergency. If you suspect you have a pulmonary embolism, you should seek immediate medical help.
Pulmonary hyperinflationPulmonary hyperinflation occurs when the lungs cannot empty efficiently. This may be the result of airway blockages or poor working air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs.
If you have pulmonary hyperinflation, you may have difficulty inhaling and generally struggle to breathe normally. This can often cause dull, continuous pain in the lungs.
Pulmonary hyperinflation is common in advanced emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
AtelectasisAtelectasis occurs when air sacs in the lungs collapse or do not expand as they should. This means that these sacs are no longer able to fill with air.
If atelectasis affects a small part of the lungs, it may not cause any symptoms. However, if it involves a large portion of the lung, it may result in sharp, short-lived pains.
The condition is often the result of airway blockages. Still, you may also experience atelectasis due to pressure from outside the lungs, fluid buildup, or a broader collapse of the lung.
Heart conditionsConditions affecting the heart may cause pain in your chest. These pains may also feel like they're spreading to, or coming from, your lungs.
A lack of blood flow to the heart can cause angina, a type of chest pain. In severe cases, lack of blood flow to the heart can cause stroke or a heart attack.
Pain resulting from these conditions can spread throughout the chest, lungs, and back.
Lung cancerBack pain can accompany certain types of cancer, including lung cancer.
According to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, about 25 percent of people with lung cancer experience back pain. In fact, back pain is frequently the first lung cancer symptom that people notice before diagnosis.
Back pain may also arise as a side effect of cancer treatment.
If you're concerned that your back pain could be a symptom of lung cancer, consider whether you have other common symptoms of lung cancer, such as:
Comments
Post a Comment