Is your throat a "foreteller" of lung problems? If you see these 8 signs, it's best to go to the hospital for a checkup

★ Early detection before the disease occurs

Editor's note: Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "preventive treatment" while Western medicine emphasizes "early detection and early treatment". The views of both Chinese and Western medicine actually have something in common, which is: to nip the disease in the bud. For this reason, Guangdong Science and Technology News has launched a series of reports on "early detection before the disease occurs". Please pay attention.

The only respiratory organ in our human body is the lung. The main function of the lung is ventilation and air exchange. It provides oxygen to the human body and discharges the carbon dioxide produced by the oxidation reaction. Therefore, the lung is very important to us. In our daily life, we must pay attention to the maintenance of the lungs. We often say that we should breathe fresh air because fresh air is the best for the lungs. According to Zhao Fangmin, deputy chief physician of the general outpatient clinic of the Sanshui District Disease Prevention and Control Institute of Foshan City, lung diseases have become more and more common in recent years; it is worth affirming that since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, people have begun to pay attention to lung health.

Clinically, lung lesions can be detected through CT, chest X-ray or other detection methods. After lung lesions, a series of alarm signals will be sent to the body, but most people do not notice them. When there is a problem with the lungs, it occurs in the throat. The respiratory system will not be able to form a breathing mechanism and transformation form, and then the lungs will accumulate too many toxins and harmful substances. Most clinical manifestations will be coughing. Not only that, the throat will also send out early warnings. Zhao Fangmin reminded that if these 8 signals appear in the throat, do not ignore them.

Paroxysmal cough

Coughing and expectoration occur when the human body chokes, inhales highly irritating gases, or has inflammation and sore throat. There are many types of coughs, and many diseases can cause frequent coughs. When the lungs are diseased, paroxysmal coughs will occur, often manifested as severe coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Zhao Fangmin pointed out that there are many factors that cause paroxysmal coughs, which are generally common in bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism, lung cancer, gastroesophageal reflux, variant asthma and other diseases. Specifically, it is necessary to find the cause of the disease under the guidance of a clinician through medical history, clinical symptoms, physical examination, laboratory, imaging and other related examinations, and treat the cause and symptomatic treatment.

Dry cough

When the lung function is damaged, coughing will also occur, because the throat is connected to the lungs. When the lung function is damaged, the body will automatically activate the self-protection mechanism and expel foreign matter from the lungs in the form of coughing, Zhao Fangmin analyzed. Therefore, when the lungs are diseased, there will be a problem of persistent dry cough, and in severe cases, there may be coughing up blood, so don't ignore this symptom in normal times.

Hoarseness

If you have a cold, you may have a hoarse throat and a sore throat. This condition usually gets better after a few days of taking medicine. Zhao Fangmin pointed out that if you find that this condition does not get better for a long time and the medicine does not work, then you should be alert, because it is very likely caused by lung disease.

The scientific name of the "cold" caused by foreign bodies in the throat is "upper respiratory tract infection". When patients have a hoarse throat and a foreign body sensation, most of them will treat it as a common cold. Zhao Fangmin reminded that the foreign body sensation when swallowing may be related to a variety of factors, including foreign bodies in the pharynx, chronic pharyngitis, lymph follicle hyperplasia, reflux esophagitis, pharyngeal tumors, etc., and corresponding examinations and treatments should be carried out according to the specific causes.

Difficulty swallowing

Abnormal lung function may cause inflammation or lesions in the throat, thus affecting normal swallowing, so you should pay more attention to your swallowing status when eating. Zhao Fangmin analyzed that if you find it difficult to swallow food and have a clear foreign body sensation, other lesions should be ruled out.

Sore throat

Sore throat is one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19 infection. After excluding colds, if you find that your throat is often painful and burning, and you feel a foreign body sensation when drinking water or eating, it is not just a symptom of pharyngitis, but may be caused by a digestive tract disease, and further examination is needed to clarify the cause.

Coughing up blood

Normal people cough and spit out phlegm, which is mostly yellow or white. If there is an organic lesion in the lungs, such as lung cancer, coughing is accompanied by more phlegm, and the phlegm is bloody. This is because frequent coughing damages the lung tissue, and the lung mucosa becomes thin and falls off in the human body, which makes people's phlegm bleed and blood-red. If you keep coughing up bloody phlegm, you should be alert to whether there is a lesion in the lungs.

Coughing up yellow sputum with chest pain

During the season change, people with low immunity are prone to catching colds and coughing. The colds and winds turn into heat inside the body, and they often cough up a lot of yellow sputum, which is mostly caused by respiratory bacterial infections. Zhao Fangmin pointed out that coughing with yellow sputum is related to a variety of diseases, the most common of which are upper respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, lung abscesses, and bronchiectasis. If bacteria invade the throat, tonsils and other parts, it may cause an inflammatory reaction. Under the stimulation of inflammatory factors, the upper respiratory tract mucosa becomes congested and edematous, resulting in increased mucus secretion, which combines with inhaled dust and certain tissue destroyers to form yellow sputum. If accompanied by chest pain and persistent high fever when coughing, this may be pneumonia and should be treated in time.

Guangdong Science and Technology News reporter Li Zhenhui and correspondent Liu Hui