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Don't Ignore These Crucial Signs of Respiratory Disease

During the 1930s and 1950s, asthma was considered to be a psychological disorder and was treated with psychoanalysis. Today, research has taught us about the seriousness of respiratory illnesses and what warning signs and symptoms we should look out for before visiting the doctor. Here are 7 of the most common symptoms that can hint at an underlying respiratory or lung disorder. Be sure to treat such symptoms straight away: 
 
 
respiratory diseases

1. You feel lethargic

While it's pretty normal to feel tired and low in energy at the end of the day, it may also indicate a sign of a respiratory disease. Such a symptom is usually ignored because of our hectic schedules and busy lifestyle, but if you notice a change in your body's regular functions over a period of time, then you should consider visiting your doctor as more often than not, a leading cause of this type of tiredness is due to your body's inability to produce enough oxygen in your cells.

 
2. You feel out of breath

If you feel out of breath after a short walk, or after going up a couple of stairs, this can indicate a low oxygen level in the body, causing you to feel breathless even after a short workout. This condition is also known as Dyspnea, one of the biggest symptoms of a developing lung function. It is possible to also experience tachypnea (rapid breathing) or tachycardia (rapid heart rate) along with breathlessness. 

3. Loss of weight or appetite

Do you feel like you are losing weight despite no change in your eating habits or exercise routine? Sudden weight loss can be a sign of a progressing respiratory disorder. Should this be related to your lungs' dysfunction in any way, it may not be body fat you are losing, but muscle mass. 

4. You have a productive, painful cough

Are you coughing forcefully? Be sure to visit your doctor especially if it's a productive one, which may signal increasing mucus and possibly, a lung infection. Visit your doctor if you see no sign of improvement after having a bad cough for a week. However, if your coughing is accompanied by other symptoms, be sure to get it checked out immediately. 

respiratory diseases

5. You have chest pain

Have you had unexplained chest pain for a month or longer? It may be chronic chest pain. Many patients complain of an increase in pain in their chest area, particularly when they cough, but also when they breathe. This may be a warning sign that something serious could be wrong which needs your attention. Pleuritic chest pain may also be a problem in which a patient complains of a sharp pain on one side of the chest that increases with deep breathing.

 

6. Changes in mucus

When you are sick, the amount of mucus in your body increases, and it may change its color and texture. It may also have a foul odor. If it persists, the symptoms are indications of a brewing respiratory and/or lung disease. It is also called, sputum or phlegm, and is produced in the body as a defense mechanism to fight off infections and irritants. If there is a sudden increase in mucus that lasts for over a month, get examined by a doctor for any kinds of respiratory problems like chronic bronchitis. 

7. It shows on your skin and cuticles

If you have a respiratory disorder in the body, the skin will start showing signs first. In fact, some of the most common skin diseases that occur with respiratory disorders include Cyanosis, the blue coloration of mucous membranes. It may also present itself in the form of nail clubbing and Superior Vena Cava Syndrome (appearance of dilated veins on the upper chest) are also likely. These conditions develop due to insufficient oxygen in the body. 
 

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