Among the several life-threatening conditions that can make it hard for you to live a normal life, lung diseases have precedence. They make it hard for you to breathe normally and degrade your quality of life. Doctors generally classify lung diseases as obstructive and restrictive lung diseases. While the prior make it hard for you to exhale, those suffering from the latter experience difficulty expanding their lungs with air. To find out more about these diseases, read further!
What is obstructive lung disease?
Those people who are suffering from obstructive lung disease face problems in breathing. Due to the damage caused to the lungs or narrowing of the airways, such people find it hard to exhale wind. As a result, even after complete exhalation, much air remains in the body. The patients of this disease experience shortness of breath, especially during increased exertion. It is so because as the breathing rate increases, there is less time to force the air out before the next inhalation.
The most common obstructive lung diseases include-
. Cystic fibrosis
. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
. Asthma
. Bronchiectasis
What is restrictive lung disease?
Patients find it hard to fill their lungs with air in restrictive lung disease fully. The condition results from stiffness in the chest wall or organs responsible for breathing. Also, it can be caused because of weak muscles or damaged nerves.
Some conditions that can result in restrictive lung disease include-
. Intestinal lung disease
. Sarcoidosis
. Obesity
. Neuromuscular disease
. Scoliosis
What are the symptoms of obstructive and restrictive lung disease?
Shortness of breath is one vital symptom of obstructive and restrictive lung disease. Although one might experience it only while exerting oneself in the initial days, in the later stages, breathlessness can be triggered with even minimal activities or resting.
Cough is another symptom that is noticed in patients suffering from these problems. Generally, it is dry or features a white septum. People with chronic bronchitis, a type of obstructive lung disease, also produce coloured sputum.
Some patients with these diseases also face depression or anxiety. These symptoms usually emerge if the disease causes significant lifestyle changes.
How are obstructive and restrictive lung diseases diagnosed?
Patients suffering from these problems approach doctors to complain about shortness of breath in most cases. If the health expert suspects these breathing issues, he conducts pulmonary function tests. Here, the patients blow air through a mouthpiece. As he inhales and exhales, a machine records air volume and flow through the lungs. Next, a physical exam and lab tests are conducted for a more detailed examination. They might offer additional clues. Imaging tests like a chest x-ray and CT scan are also part of the diagnosis process. In some cases, doctors may also need to carry out bronchoscopy where they use an endoscope to look inside the airways.
So, obstructive and restive lung diseases lead to breathing problems. While one makes it hard for patients to exhale, people find it hard to expand lungs.