Health

15 Signs That Your Lungs Are Not Functioning Correctly

14. Jaundice There are no nerve endings in the lungs. This means that a person can have a large tumor in their lungs without even noticing… Simi - February 4, 2018

14. Jaundice

There are no nerve endings in the lungs. This means that a person can have a large tumor in their lungs without even noticing it. This, combined with the fact that lung cancer patients rarely display early-stage symptoms, makes early diagnosis almost unheard of. This alone can be life-threatening, as growing tumors intrude on blood vessels and thus shunt blood away from healthy tissue. The other problem associated with lung cancer is, given enough time, cancer can metastasize.

Metastatic cancer is one which has spread to another part of the body. It is named according to where cancer first formed. This is because when a tumor is examined, it has cells which are specific to the original growth site. A tumor spreads when its size has increased substantially enough to require further space for growth. Cancer can metastasize by either intruding on the tissue which is nearby or by breaking off and traveling via the bloodstream or lymphatic system to a completely different part of the body.

Lung cancer can metastasize to the liver. This would then result in a completely different set of symptoms, which are totally apart from lung disease symptoms. These could include nausea following eating, pain under the right ribs and lastly, jaundice.

Jaundice is caused by unnatural amounts of bilirubin in the blood, this is what results in the yellow appearance of the eyes and skin. This condition clearly signifies a problem with one’s liver as it is liver cells which process and aid in the excretion of bilirubin. Jaundice does not always signify lung cancer. But, the liver is a common sight for lung cancer metastasis and it could very well be because of lung cancer.

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15. Upper back pain

The lungs are situated in the back. With this placement in mind, it is odd to note that when a person experiences back pain they do not consider it to be an implication of lung disease. Granted, this pain in the back can be simply that, back pain. It could also point to an underlying pulmonary issue.

If a person is battling a chest infection, it is very common for them to experience pain or discomfort in their upper back. This could be when lying down when breathing deeply or coughing. While this is inconvenient and adds to the discomfort of the illness, it is at least known and diagnosed.

This kind of is also generally mechanical in nature and is simply due to the strain put on the muscles when one has a chest infection. There is, however, another kind of back pain which originates in the lungs. This is categorized as referred back pain and it could indicate an underlying or emergent lung condition. The distinction lies in when the pain in the back is predominantly felt.

If a person is able to twist and move their spine without worsening the pain, then it is most likely a pain which is originating in the lungs. This is obviously not true all the time. It is possible for a person to be able to move their spine, while still having pain which has its source in the back and its muscles as opposed to the lungs. A correct diagnosis can only be made by a doctor, after a full physical examination. Non-mechanical back pain still ought to be treated as a sign or symptom of lung disease.

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