17 Alarming Lung Signs You Should Look Out For

1. You have a long term cough

If you notice you have a cough that doesn’t seem to go away no matter what medicine you take, make sure to talk to a professional. Especially now, that cough is one of the main coronavirus symptoms, you need to be extra careful.

According to Sunitha D. Posina, MD, a board-certified internist and locum hospitalist in New York, if your cough doesn’t want to go away and you experience it for more than eight weeks, you should immediately get checked by a doctor, as it is considered chronic.

She adds that long-term cough can indicate COPD, which is a chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease, or infections like tuberculosis and bronchiectasis. So don’t waste another minute because it can be a serious problem.

2. You experience dry, persistent cough

Dry, persistent cough can be a COVID-19 indicator. As data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows, cough is the most common symptom, with more than 84 percent of confirmed cases having experienced it.

If you experience dry cough and you suspect you contracted the coronavirus, stay at home and call a professional.

3. You experience trouble taking deep breaths

If you have trouble taking big, deep breaths, COPD might be the reason. COPD is a lung disease known for creating breathing problems, and according to the Cleveland Clinic, the symptoms could become aggravated over time.

Jim Meyer, DO, a pulmonologist in Fort Dodge, Iowa, explained that most of the time, COPD is associated with smoking. This affliction can exist at different severity levels. COPD’s most severe form can make it very difficult for people to do even simple everyday activities, Meyer adds.

4. Shortness of breath

Don’t get me wrong, experiencing shortness of breath during any kind of physical activity is perfectly normal and it certainly happens to everyone. However, if you find yourself short of breath in situations where it shouldn’t happen, that’s not ok, Posina says.

She added that unusual and inexplicable shortness of breath generally indicate there’s an underlying cause.

“Shortness of breath isn’t a sign that’s exclusive to lung disease—it could be indicative of multiple lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung mass, and pulmonary fibrosis, to name a few,” Posina continued.