Living With a Lung Disease

Lung diseases affect your body's ability to take in oxygen, preventing your cells from functioning well. Lung conditions typically fall into three categories, including:

Restrictive lung diseases 

Inflammation and scarring can make it challenging to draw in a breath and fully expand your lungs. Also called interstitial lung disease, examples of restrictive lung diseases include:

• Pneumoconiosis
• Eosinophilic pneumonia
• Sarcoidosis
• Pulmonary fibrosis

Obstructive lung diseases 

When airways narrow it can be hard to exhale. Examples of obstructive lung diseases include:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chronic bronchitis
• Asthma
• Bronchiectasis
• Bronchiolitis
• Cystic fibrosis

Pulmonary vascular lung diseases

Problems with the blood vessels that connect your heart and lungs can make breathing difficult. Examples of pulmonary vascular lung diseases include:

• Pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Pulmonary venous hypertension
• Pulmonary embolism

Lung disease symptoms

Many lung diseases have similar symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Lung disease symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Frequent cough

Lung diseases often worsen over time, so it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis as early as possible. Using the latest equipment and techniques, the experts at Cedars‑Sinai identify your condition and develop a customized treatment plan.

Your doctor may use a range of tools and tests to diagnose your condition such as:

• Imaging takes highly detailed pictures of your lungs.
• Bronchoscopy involves a doctor inserting an endoscope (thin tube with a light and camera at the end) in your nose or mouth to view your airways.
• Lung physiology includes tests that measure how well your lungs work.

Your personalized treatment plan depends on your disease type and severity. Generally, your team focuses on:

• Improving your breathing.
• Improving blood flow to your lungs.
• Managing your symptoms.
• Slowing the progression of scarring and inflammation.

Your customized care plan may include:

Lifestyle changes 

Changes to daily routine can help you manage lung disease. For example:

• Quit smoking or don’t start.  
• Avoid secondhand smoke, dust and pollution.
• Exercise regularly.  
• Get regular vaccinations, especially for flu and pneumonia. 
• Maintain good hygiene and avoid crowds.

Medications

• Bronchodilators open blocked airways.
• Cough suppressants ease symptoms from coughing.
• Steroids reduce swelling and inflammation in lung tissue.
• Antibiotics treat respiratory infections often associated with flare‑ups.
• Antifibrotics reduce scar tissue forming in and around the lungs.
• Blood thinners help prevent blood clots.
• Vasodilators help prevent harmful pressure in your lungs’ arteries.

Oxygen therapy 

This treatment delivers air with a higher percentage of oxygen to your lungs.  

Pulmonary rehabilitation 

Your pulmonary rehabilitation regimen may include:

• Advice on nutrition and medication 
• Breath retraining
• Muscle‑strengthening exercises

Lung transplant

Your doctor may recommend a lung transplant if:

• Your disease is advanced.
• Your symptoms are severe.
• Other treatments haven't been successful.
• You meet specific criteria.