Contents:
- Medical Video: What Is The Cause Of Pneumonia - Manipal Hospital
- What are the causes of left lung disease?
- 1. Pleurisy
- 2. Asthma
- 3. Pulmonary embolism
- 4. Pneumothorax
- 5. Wet lungs
- 6. Hyperventilation
- 7. Lung cancer
- 8. Costocondritis
Medical Video: What Is The Cause Of Pneumonia - Manipal Hospital
The lung itself does not feel pain because it has only a few nerve recipients of pain. Therefore, the left lung pain that you feel actually comes from chest pain which is a symptom of a particular disease, which may attack other organs around the lungs. Some health conditions related to the lung can also cause pain in the left lung.
What are the causes of left lung disease?
1. Pleurisy
Pleuritis is inflammation that attacks the pleura, the lining of the lung. Inflammation can be caused by bacterial infections that attack the airways, tumors, broken ribs, lung cancer, chest injuries, and lupus. Inflammation of the lining of the lungs can cause chest pain when deep breathing or coughing and sneezing.
If inflammation attacks the left lung, you can feel a sharp pain in the lungs or chest to the left.
2. Asthma
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder caused by constriction and inflammation of the airways which irritates the lungs. Some people may feel left lung pain, but symptoms of asthma usually attack both sides. Other symptoms include wheezing (breathing sounds bro), shortness of breath, and also coughing.
Asthma cannot be completely cured and can recur when triggered. You can control the trigger to avoid symptom recurrence.
3. Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a condition when one of the arteries in the lungs is blocked by a blood clot. Pulmonary embolism can cause left chest pain, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, and coughing up blood.
Generally, pulmonary embolism is experienced by the elderly and obese people. This condition can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.
4. Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a condition caused by the entry of air between the lungs and chest wall. This health disorder can occur suddenly in healthy people and people who experience complications of lung disease. Usually pneumothorax occurs due to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chest injury, and chest or stomach surgery.
Pneumothorax usually causes symptoms such as chest pain, respiratory failure, and heart failure.
5. Wet lungs
The opposite of pneumothorax, wet lung or pleural effusion occurs when there is a buildup of fluid between the lungs and chest wall. This condition can occur due to certain health problems such as heart failure, lung infection, cancer, or pancreatitis.
Apart from the left lung pain, this condition can cause people with difficulty breathing, coughing, fever, and having low blood oxygen levels.
6. Hyperventilation
Hyperventilation is a condition when the carbon dioxide in the body decreases which usually occurs when a panic attack. When this condition occurs you usually breathe too fast. The amount of carbon dioxide that is wasted triggers the narrowing of blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. As a result, you will feel dizzy, headache, difficulty concentrating, numbness and tingling in the fingers, until fainting.
7. Lung cancer
Some symptoms of lung cancer are left lung pain or chest pain, persistent coughing, wheezing, bloody phlegm, hoarseness, and inflammation in the lungs. Everyone is at risk of developing lung cancer, but active and passive smokers are more at risk.
This condition not only attacks the lungs, but can attack other parts of the body.
8. Costocondritis
Costokondiritis occurs when the cartilage in the ribs becomes inflamed to cause pain. Left lung pain can be one of the symptoms if the inflamed bone is on the left side of the chest.
This pain does not only occur in the chest but also spreads backwards. Costocondritis is not life threatening, but the pain that attacks can interfere with your daily activities. Usually this happens due to lifting the load too heavily.
