Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with lungs

Paging Dr. House

ohyouknow — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:13:06 -0800

Help me find a Dr. House in (or near) Los Angeles for my father. For over a year now my father has been having difficulty breathing (he's never been a smoker). I think his lungs are only processing about 50% of the oxygen he inhales with each breath he takes. I won't go into all of the symptoms and details because I know you aren't his doctor, but he's been seeing pulmonary specialists for a full year and no one can figure out what's going on. They've ruled out a lot of things, but there is no diagnosis yet. The only real clue they have is that steroids have been the only thing that helped him completely--but as soon as he stops taking them he's back at square one.

Am I crazy naive to think there might be a corollary to Dr. Gregory House out there in the real world? I've tried running Google searches to no avail... Thanks Mefites!

Why do my lungs hurt?

Salieri — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:01:42 -0800

Lung pain brought on by sudden exercise - possible causes/solutions? A number of years ago, when I used to jog frequently, I got sick with a bad cold right around a time when it was cold outside and I was jogging almost every day. My lungs took quite a beating, and to this day they burn whenever I exert myself outside in weather that's a bit on the cooler side. Not a big deal - the weather around here is nasty enough that I switched to exercising indoors.

Today at work I had the same burning feeling show up when they emptied the building for a drill (and I snuck back inside to get my stuff). My upper lungs were burning pretty badly, but I feel like I barely exerted myself enough to warrant it - just a little brisk walking and a flight of stairs. The burning got worse as I took deeper breaths, and I could hear a bit of wheeziness in my breaths. It seemed to peak a few minutes after I stopped moving and then went away entirely about fifteen or twenty minutes later. All better now, except that my upper lungs still feel a tad sensitive when I breathe deeply. Normally I'd think it was my usual cold sensitivity, but it was quite warm outside today - warmer than the room I was in, in fact.

So, have I somehow irreparably fucked up my lungs? Is it a mild exercise-induced asthma? I figure I'll ask my NP next time I go, but I'd like some possible explanations as well as suggestions for what I can do to avoid this kind of thing in the future. (I'll be visiting a cold climate next month, and I'm not looking forward to the lung-burning there.)

If it helps matters: I'm pretty badly out of shape at the moment, but working on it. I exercise (when I manage to go) in a gym - elliptical, bike, treadmill - at a moderate pace, and haven't had any breathing problems there. I'm a nonsmoker with no allergies that I'm aware of. I live in a warm, humid climate, so that's the kind of air I'm used to breathing.

Occasional deep coughing problem after chest infection

lndl — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:43:07 -0800

Why am I occasionally getting coughing/breathing problems still when swimming after a 2 week course of antibiotics for a chest infection 2 months ago? ( I am very fit). Ok, it's a bit complitcated. I'm a 46yo male. I've had mild asthma for about 15 years. (Rarely affects me, I avoid triggers and am very fit).

Usually the only problem is if I get an infection (flu) that might subsequently reach my chest. This happens maybe once every 2 years, as it did 6 weeks ago. I always immediately go to my GP, get an antibiotic and fine.

However after the last time, the first course of Antibiotics didn't clear the infection, so I did a 2nd course (6 days each). I don't ever recall taking 2 courses before. (I always take natural yoghurt after antibiotics to replenish intestinal flora and alleviate tiredness also).

Anyway, problems still arise. Here's how: I'm a long distance swimmer. I train between 1 & half to 2 hours a day, 6 days a week normally, with occasional longer swims (in the pool at this time of year).
A couple of times after this course for a few weeks, when doing some explosive sprints, I started to cough, getting a feeling of mucus/matter deep in my lungs. Intensive intervals didn't product the same coughing effect.
Last week I was doing a 10km, 3 and a half hour straight swim, constant speed, for distance training. I started to get a "tickle" in my throat at about 2 hours and was constantly coughing for the next hour and a half. I finished my swim but it was tough, all that coughing under water, affecting my oxygen levels. I was apparently very pale after the swim.
About 7 hours later, I had a very difficult coughing fit for about 10 minutes, feeling like I was trying to "clear" mucus from my chest. It left me with sore lungs for the next 2 days. (The training day after a long swim is easy and the day after that is my rest day).
Tomorrow I'm due a 12km 4 hour swim. I'm nervous the same thing will happen again although I've been fine all week.
I would go back to my GP but I've been unemployed for almost a year now and can't afford it at moment without a more concrete reason.
Any thoughts appreciated.

How does conditioning work in sports?

wastelands — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:33:33 -0800

Uh oh! He's "out of gas"! How does conditioning work in sports like MMA and boxing? In the color commentary for UFC, you often hear them say a fighter is "out of gas." The fighter appears slow, tired, and doesn't move much.

My question: is this expression literal? I mean, does it mostly have to do with oxygen intake? And how do you deal with this problem... just do a crapload of cardio exercise before fights to improve your lungs? What exactly do they mean when they say "conditioning"?

"I've been out before but this time it's much safer in."

mykescipark — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:28:24 -0800

As an inveterate L.A. bike commuter (not to mention recently losing a close family member to cancer), this article made me wonder what sort of tests I should be having to measure the impact of particulate air pollution on my body. Recommendations? And how often? (I'm biking 30 miles a day in rush-hour traffic, year-round.)

Getting the gunk out of my lungs

ShootTheMoon — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:39:00 -0800

Some questions on sickness and phlegm. Gross details inside... So last week I had a sore throat/cough. Never developed a fever or headache, although other people I know with the same infection got a nasty fever. The problem is that I have lingering phlegm in my lungs. I have never got this from a sickness before. In fact, I didnt even know what the rumble in my lungs was until someone explained it to me.

So I hear and feel a low rattling sound whenever I breathe. It makes me cough, and when something does get hacked up, I swallow it. Other then this, I feel great... I have no lingering affects from the cold.

Should I be doing something to extra to expel the phlegm from the lungs?

Will this go away on its own or do I need some medication to break up the gunk in the lungs.

Am I at risk of infection if I just wait it out?

Stomach acid and infiltrates in the lungs?

arimathea — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:10:11 -0800

When do you need to start worrying about acid reflux and your lungs? I was recently diagnosed with acid reflux (no surprise, family history of Crohn's and all kinds of other GI drama), probably brought on by eosinophilic esophagitis. We're still waiting for the biopsy results and the rest of my upper endoscopy looked normal. I had extremely deep furrows all the way from the distal to the proximal esophagus, and some ringing.

After a couple of days on Protonix, I have been waking up less at night, and felt much better, though tonight I had a really bad episode of reflux with some heavy coughing and almost gagging. I'm told there's a risk of this condition getting so bad that things get into the lungs and can cause pneumonia or other very serious respiratory illnesses. Having never had much of a lung problem, do I need to get screened by a pulmonologist(?), or at what stage do I need to start worrying about side effects from the reflux? After the latest incident, i'm presenting with what sounds like some fluid in the lungs and wheezing, though it's getting better. Monday I go out of the country to South America for about a week.

How to adjust to high altitude?

foxinthesnow — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:11:05 -0800

Will the altitude of Denver have a negative effect on my father's ability to breathe? My father has planned a trip to Denver, and he is worried that he will have trouble breathing while he is there. He has congestive heart failure, and one way or another (it may be some of the medication), this has greatly reduced his lung function. He gets around just fine, but he has trouble breathing after walking longish distances, after climbing stairs, and on very humid days. Does the altitude have a noticeable effect on one's breathing? If so, any tips on how he might adjust to this?

Coughing after eating in Denver

yodelingisfun — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:04:09 -0800

Lung congestion after eating, why now? I moved to Denver earlier this summer and I now notice a lot of lung congestion after I eat. Even a small meal makes me have to cough. Is it from the elevation? I didn't have the problem when I was back in Portland for a week so I don't think it's acid reflux, unless that is affected by elevation. I guess this sort of worries me because I do not have insurance and because i was a 2 pack a day smoker for 15 years until quitting about 4 years ago. Anyone else have this problem in higher elevations or know what it is?

How will I ever get my fitness back after two years of major respiratory problems?

soulbarn — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:23:07 -0800

Can I rebuild my lung capacity? And how? In the past two years, I have gone from being a high-level aerobic athlete - one to three hours daily of bike riding or running - to doing almost nothing. The reason? Respiratory problems. It started with asthma, went on to sinus infections, then two cases of pneumonia. I've had two sinus surgeries in the past six months. The good news is I am feeling better. The bad news is that my wind is shot... ...when I do any cardio - even just a thirty minute walk - I get quite short of breath. Even worse, I feel sick for three or four days afterwards (super congested, tired.) I have been trying to keep fit during this period; I'm doing yoga for about an hour a day, four or five days a week, and other than not being able to take a deep breath, I'm handling it OK.

My questions: is this to be expected? Have I likely done permanent damage? Can I recover? How long will this go on? What can I do, over that period of time, to build my capacities back?

BTW, I am a 45-year-old male; my weight is pretty much the same as it was prior to all this.

My lungs are like katamair damacy rolling up all the ick it passes.

stormygrey — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:15:04 -0800

What is your action plan for staying well? I am sick right now, I have a run of the mill icky chest infection, that has progressed to my ears and throat, ick. I get sick, a lot. Last summer I contracted both pneumonia and strep throat. I tend to get strep every year and pneumonia about every two years. I even get the pneumonia shot in the winter, but by the summer time maybe it wears out or something.

I have a poor immune system, I don't make much gamma gobulin. I am not even sure what that means except I feel awesome when I get shots of gamma gobulin.

I want to be more proactive about staying well, what do you do to accomplish this? Supplements? Exercise? Shunning public life :) ?

Natural remedy or tonic for lungs?

mintchip — Sun, 13 May 2007 22:03:56 -0800

Natural remedy or tonic for lungs? I've noticed that I don't breathe as deeply or fully as I used to. I suspect I've developed a mild case of adult asthma, as my lungs often feel somewhat constricted, especially when I'm exposed to household chemicals or pollution such as car exhust.

I'm going to get this checked out at my next physical. Although I'm not overly concerned, I'm wondering if there might be some sort of natural remedy or tonic (herbal or otherwise) that can be used to help clear the lungs and improve breathing.

Need some input on my near-coma mother.

Kickstart70 — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:24:58 -0800

My mother has been kept asleep and paralyzed for almost 3 weeks now, from a horrible drug reaction. I want some advice on how she can/if she can/when she will recover. My mother, on the advice on her doctors, was taking weekly injections of Methotrexate for her psoriasis and related issues (psoriatic arthritis, for one). There were no problems AFAIK until 4 weeks ago when she started developing a bad cough and ultimately she was forced by my stepfather to go to the doctor, who put her in the local small town hospital, who realized they were out of their league and shipped her to a larger hospital. Almost immediately they knocked her out and paralyzed her, and inserted breathing apparatus, etc. That's now been switched to a breathing tube through a tracheotomy.

There were a a few scares...her lungs have one area about the size of my fist on one lung that is clear. The rest is damaged, and full of fluid. Her bloody pressure had a few serious spikes (210 over ??) but has now stabilized. She's been retaining fluid that has made her left arm/hand quite puffy and there were concerns over the ability of the right side of her heart pumping effectively (but I have yet to get a followup on this issue, which may have pre-existed). She gets lung xrays every morning and if there is improvement it's very subtle and slow.

Now...I'm at a loss what questions to ask here, but I hope that doesn't impact on whether this question stays put. Mostly I guess I want some input on what are the likely chances of her coming out of this all better, what are the chances she may never come out of this, and what are the chances that she's come out of it but perhaps have to be on oxygen for the rest of her life. Any advice is welcome. Thx in advance.

What does it mean to "blow out" a lung?

forensicphd — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:20:36 -0800

What does it mean when a paramedic applies oxygen to someone in respiratory distress and it "blows out" the lungs? My aunt passed away on Sunday after battling emphysema for many years. Something my uncle told me about her last moments was confusing but I didn't feel it was appropriate to ask him, and Google isn't yielding any results.

He said that she went into respiratory distress during the night, so he called 911. When paramedics came, they attempted to give her oxygen, but it "blew out" her lungs. They then attempted to intubate her, but it was too late.

What did they mean? Did the pressure of the oxygen they tried to force into her lungs literally blow holes in each lung? I can imagine her lungs were like putty these last few years, but can anyone tell me exactly what they could have meant by the "blew out" description? Thanks in advance.

Pain on the left side when breathing in

lundman — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 22:38:12 -0800

Breathing-in feels like your lung is snagging on a rib.. .. when I was younger, I used to get this situation, where if you filled your lung to about 80% capacity (or more) there would be pain, on the left side, like it was like the lung was stabbed on the ribs or similar. Generally on the left side, around the area of the first to third rib (counting from the bottom). Would not last very long (minutes, for me), and was more an irritation that anything else. If you breathe shallow there is no pain.

This has since then stopped happening for me, sometime around my late 20s, but my brother still gets it, and sometimes seems quite bad (enough to take painkillers). I have my gallbladder pulled out around then, but I assume that isn't related.

I know my brother had an Ultrasound scan, but it came up empty. Anyone else have any ideas of what kind of checks he could do?

How to rebuild your lungs

ISeemToBeAVerb — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:19:32 -0800

Any way to speed up lung recovery once you've quit smoking? I recently quit smoking cigarettes, but my pack a day habit has really torched my lungs. I am already excersizing (riding my bike about 12 miles a day), but I am curious if there is any other proactive measures I can take to speed up my recovery. I'm tired of coughing all the time.

That's not flying, it's falling with

kaseijin — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:17:09 -0800

Skydiving with respiratory condition...should I try it? Is it safe? Am I batshit insane? Skydivers and medical sorts are most welcome to reply! A friend wants a few of us to go on a tandem dive from 11,500 feet next weekend for his birthday.

As somebody who is mortally afraid of heights, but kinda likes to experience life, this is simultaneously both mind-numbingly frightening and really, really neat. (We have this plan to land, strip out of our jumpsuits to reveal dapper black suit-and-tie combos, and have bikini girls run up to us with martinis, cigars, and guns on silver platters. This probably won't happen in actuality, but it is fun to dream...)

My question specifically is not about the safety of the sport itself, but about breathing and how it pertains to my specific condition.

I have about 17% average lung capacity due to a physical restraint on my breathing, and all of my breathing is done via my diaphragm.

Will I be able to breathe up there? Is this safe for me? I can get around basically OK on the surface, minus exertion. How will I breathe at altitude? Am I utterly crazy for even thinking about this?

*footnote*: To give some background for the medically inclined out there, I was born with a more-or-less average case of pectus excavatum. Not too, too severe, but not too light, either.

At the time, the doctors thought my recurrent respiratory problems were due to that, and decided to operate. A Nuss procedure was performed when I was 2 years old -- at the time, it was the youngest such procedure on record. Usually, it is performed on teenagers.

Turned out they were wrong. The PE wasn't affecting my breathing so much as my asthma was. I grew out of the asthma eventually, but unfortunately the doctor who rushed hold the title of "youngest Nuss procedure" botched the operation and destroyed the cartilage around my sternum -- resulting in the fusion of my front chest wall into a fairly good and solid mass.

This also had the effect of hindering proper growth of my ribcage as I grew up -- I basically grew into a cage, and breathing became more and more difficult as I got older.

These days, I have about 16-18% normal lung capacity, but because I grew into that so gradually (giving my body basically 19 years to adapt), I can carry on just fine, barring strenuous cardio exercise. I can't run, swim, sing on key, etc, etc.... I look forward to finally having a chest wall expansion surgery in the next couple of years.

Sucking cold wind burns my lungs it does

baking soda — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:12:43 -0800

When I jog or something in the cold my lungs burn. Is this normal? If I jog in the cold repeatedly will this go away or get worse?

does menthol from cigarettes crystalize in your lungs?

frankie_stubbs — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 00:16:39 -0800

Does menthol in cigarettes crystalize in your lungs? I've heard and read conflicting opinions on this and want to know if there's any good evidence for either side. Also, I was told that when you smoke clove cigarettes, tiny pieces of clove cut up your lungs. Is this true, or part of the 'cloves make your lungs bleed' myth?

Upper Back (Lung?) Pain

duck — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 16:13:35 -0800

For the past four and a half years I have had pain in my upper back, between and just below my shoulder blades. It feels to me like its lung pain. It is worse when its cold, and at night (I think because it's cold at night). My doctor doesn't know what it is. Any ideas? You are not a doctor, I know. But my doctor is stumped and if I could take some ideas that might be helpful. So, in greater detail:

History
I'm a 29yo female. Relatively healthy. However, almost 5 years ago, I had non-hodgkin's lymphoma in my eyes (not in my lymph nodes) treated with radiation. Towards the end of the course of radiation, I got pneumonia, presumably because my system was weakened. I am cancer free and the chances of my cancer coming back are pretty close to 0. Supposedly the kind I had doesn't come back.

This back pain started at the same time as the pneumonia. Since, as I said, it feels like its my lungs, I told my doctor about it, calling it "lung pain" at the time. He said it was normaly for my lungs to hurt after pneumonia and that it could take a long time to pass (this was 3 or 4 months after the pneumonia.

After about three years, I figured, well I know he said it could take a long time to pass, but it's been long enough, and I brought it up again. This time we went into more detail and I showed him where the pain was. He looked a little perplexed and said "That's not where your lungs are." Oops...I never said I was an anatomist. He did a full exam as well as x-rays and can't find anything wrong. He says maybe it's muscular. It doesn't feel muscular to me.

The Pain
It's in my upper back, between and immediately below (though still sort of centre-ish) my two shoulder blades. So divide your back into 5 horizontal sections...it's in the middle 3.

It feels like it's "inside" not on the surface. It doesn't feel like muscle pain, at least not the sort of muscle pain you get from exertion or fatigue, which is the only kind I know. It feels "hollow". I don't know how else to describe it other than hollow. It is not a sharp pain, it's fairly constant when it's there. It's not *bad* pain, meaning I'm not incapacitated by it by any stretch and only occasionally does it interfere with my sleep.

It is worse when it's cold. Meaning it's worse when my back is cold or not snugly covered (undershirt). If my back itself is kept warm, it doesn't matter if I'm in a cold place (e.g. warm parka keeps the pain at a low-level even if I'm outside and breating freezing air in the dead of winter).

I realize that last point contradicts my lung hypothesis. Yes, I still feel like it's my lungs. The doctor said my lungs would hurt in the front, not the back. That seems strange to me...I'm not that deep, my lungs are presumably pretty close to the surface from either direction. And besides, this doesn't feel like the surface. Further, it just "feels" like it's a lung thing. Lastly, it did start with the pneumonia.

It does not seem to be related to any physical exertion. it gets worse in the winter as you might expect, but AC in the summer when I'm wearing those little spaghetti-strapped tops, also doesn't do me an favours.

As I said, the pain is not terrible. It's not like I need painkillers or like I can't do things. But the long duration and constancy of the pain worries me, and I would like to know what it is so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Should I worry about these symptoms?

headspace — Sat, 09 Oct 2004 17:16:42 -0800

You Are Not A Doctor: Three weeks ago, I got a nasty head cold that never quite went away. It's now settled into my chest, and I have a chronic, slightly productive cough. Ordinarily, I would just wait it out, but I'm exhausted, can't really get a full breath, and the stuff I'm coughing up tastes like bleach. I swear, I haven't been inhaling or gargling bleach. I do have an appointment to see my doctor on Wednesday (the earliest I could get in,) but I was wondering if anyone else had had these symptoms and could tell me what caused them, so I can quit Googling medical conditions and diagnosing myself with lung abscesses and tuberculosis.

Quit Smoking - Now What?

elphTeq — Sun, 06 Jun 2004 23:54:51 -0800

BodilyFunctionFilter: Five weeks smoke free - huzzah! - however, I am worried that I am not hacking up any lung hommous from 8+ years of a reasonably rastafarian rock n roll lifestyle. I am breathing great, but i *know* there should be stuff coming out ... is my worry justifed?

How to keep my lungs warm when biking in the winter?

kaibutsu — Fri, 19 Dec 2003 17:04:50 -0800

I'm wanting to do some outdoor bike training this winter, in preparation for going over the Rockies next summer. But, of course, riding in the winter isn't pleasant. The biggest problem I've run into is that my lungs start freezing when I get into a hard climb, while the rest of my body is overheating from the extra layers (essential for big downhills). Any tips on clothing choices that get the best of both worlds, or ways to keep my lungs warm?