What is lung disease?
Your lungs are essential for life, providing the oxygen your body needs to function. Lung disease, or pulmonary disease, includes any condition that stops your lungs from working properly. It can make simple activities like breathing, walking, or talking feel exhausting.
Pulmonologists, specialists in the respiratory system, diagnose and treat lung diseases. Penn Medicine pulmonary specialists treat all types of lung disease, and our interstitial lung disease (ILD) care program, which includes more than 200 kinds of lung disorders, is internationally known for its expert, comprehensive care.
Types of lung disease
Lung diseases come in many types, and some may involve a combination of different kinds of lung disease.
Airway diseases affect the tubes (airways) that carry oxygen and other gases in and out of the lungs. These conditions often cause narrowing or blockages in the airways. People with airway diseases often describe the sensation as “trying to breathe through a straw.”
Types of airway diseases include:
Restrictive lung diseases affect the structure of lung tissue. Scarring or inflammation reduces the lungs’ ability to expand fully, making it difficult to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. People with this condition often describe the sensation as feeling like they’re “wearing a too-tight sweater or vest,” making deep breathing difficult.
This category includes interstitial lung disease (ILD) and connective tissue-associated ILD (CT-ILD), which involves lung tissue inflammation and scarring.
Other types of restrictive lung disease include:
Lung circulation diseases affect the blood vessels in the lungs. They’re caused by clotting, scarring, or inflammation, impairing the lungs’ ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. These diseases can also impact heart function. People with these conditions often describe feeling short of breath during physical activity.
Types of lung circulation diseases include:
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary venous hypertension
- Pulmonary embolism (blocked lung artery)
Other types of lung conditions include:
- Lung cancer
- Pulmonary edema (abnormal buildup of fluid in the lungs)
- Pneumothorax or atelectasis (collapse of part or all of the lung)
Symptoms of lung disease
Lung disease can cause breathing issues and affect how well your lungs work. Symptoms typically develop gradually and can include:
- Chronic cough
- Fatigue
- Wheezing
- Persistent chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Breathlessness during or after exertion
- Coughing up mucus (sputum or phlegm)
- Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
- Excessive mucus production
What causes lung disease?
There are many types of lung diseases and a wide range of factors that can cause long-term lung damage. Smoking, including exposure to secondhand smoke, is a major cause. Environmental factors, like air pollution, chemicals, dust, and fumes, can also harm the lungs, especially in workplaces with poor air quality.
Infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites can scar lung tissue, while genetic conditions like cystic fibrosis can impact how the lungs work. Autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, can lead to lung damage, and conditions like ILD can be related to allergic exposure. In some cases, the exact cause of lung disease is unknown.
Lung disease diagnosis and progression
To diagnose lung disease, your care provider may ask if your symptoms occur only in certain places or times and whether they started after an illness or infection. They may also ask if you’re exposed to dust, fumes, or other irritants at home or work.
Your provider may order breathing tests, imaging tests, or specialized blood tests as part of your evaluation. In some cases, they may recommend additional tests, including a lung biopsy to examine an abnormal spot found on an imaging scan.
Treatment options for lung disease
While many chronic lung diseases can’t be cured, there are treatments that can help you manage your symptoms and slow disease progression. Your provider may prescribe medications such as bronchodilators to relax and open the airways, corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, or antibiotics to treat infections. Supplemental oxygen (oxygen therapy) can be provided through portable options for use at home.
Pulmonary rehabilitation, a medically supervised exercise program, may be recommended to help improve lung function. In severe cases, other advanced treatments may be recommended.
Comprehensive respiratory disease care
Penn Medicine’s pulmonology specialists diagnose and treat complex conditions of the airway, lungs, and pleura (lung lining). We have multiple centers and programs that specialize in different types of lung disease, providing expert care for your specific needs.
- Harron Lung Center: Our expert team of clinicians and researchers have pioneered advanced technologies and treatments for a wide variety of lung diseases, offering more leading-edge treatments than any other lung program in the southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey regions.
- ILD Program: This internationally recognized program specializes in diagnosing and managing ILD and sarcoidosis.
- The Airways Biology Initiative: This laboratory focuses on rare lung diseases, translating scientific discoveries into new treatments for airway diseases.
- The Fishman Program for Home-Assisted Ventilation: A national leader in advanced respiratory care for adults, we help people with chronic respiratory failure live and thrive at home.
- Penn Asthma Center: Our physicians are trained in both allergy and pulmonary medicine and use state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatments for asthma, including access to clinical trials and innovative therapies.
- Smoking cessation programs: We offer dedicated support groups and resources to help you quit smoking and improve your quality of life while living with lung disease.
- Lung Transplant at the Transplant Institute: For advanced cases of lung disease, we offer one of the world’s leading lung transplantation programs.
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