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Respiratory Disorders  (Expert Forum)
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HYPER INFLATED LUNGS - XRAY RESULTS
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MedHelp Member's Question

HYPER INFLATED LUNGS - XRAY RESULTS

by deb0rah73, Dec 01, 2005 12:00AM
I HAVE JUST RECEIVED MY X RAY RESULTS AND THE REPORT STATED "SLIGHTLY HYPER INFLATED LUNGS" WITH NO OTHER PULMONARY CHANGES APPARENT. I HAVE BEEN SMOKING FOR 15 YEARS - CURRENT AGE 32. DOES THIS INDICATE EMPHYSEMA? AND IF SO, HOW CAN I DETERMINE WHAT STAGE I AM AT? AND SINCE I HAVE CEASED SMOKING (AS AT TODAY) WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN TERMS OF DEGENERATION POST THIS POINT. I HAVE NO SPUTUM OR COUGH, MY SYMPTOMS ARE: EXPERIENCING FATIGUE AND A TIGHTNESS WHEN BREATHING, EXCESSIVE YAWNING BUT NOT DIFFICULTY INHALING OR EXHALING MY DIET IS EXCELLENT, I DO NOT DRINK AND HAVE (AS OF TODAY ADDED 30 MINUTES OF SWIMMNG TRAINING INTO MY DAILY EXERCISE ROUTINE. WILL MY CONDITION WORSEN TO A POINT OF NEEDING OXYGEN? WHAT STAGES ARE THERE TO EMPHYSEMA? IS THERE A FIRST SECOND AND/ OR THIRD STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISEASE AND HOW CAN I BEST TREAT MY CONDITION? I HAVE NO HISTORY OF ASTHMA AND TWO CHILDREN TO LIVE FOR, HOW CAN I BEST MANAGE THIS SITUATION I HAVE BROUGHT UPON MYSELF BY WILLINGLY PAYING TO INHALE A CHEMICAL THAT HAS NO DOUBT PERMANANTLY DAMAGED MY AIRWAYS?  ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC TESTS I SHOULD HAVE TO ACERTAIN EXACTLY WHERE MY CONDITION IS AT? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

DEB0RAH73
Doctor's Answer

by National Jewish, Dec 12, 2005 12:00AM
Hyperinflation can be a sign of sub-optimally controlled asthma or an early sign of emphysema.  It can also sometimes reflect an over-reading of the x-ray.  It thus may or may not be a sign of emphysema.  At your age, emphysema is unlikely, but possible.  An x-ray is a crude, insensitive way to diagnose emphysema.



You can settle the question of whether or not this is emphysema with spirometry.  This is a simple breathing test that measures how your lungs are working.  Often it will identify a problem in your lungs before you have symptoms.  When this is done periodically it will tell about the health of your lungs over time.  Your doctor can arrange for this testing to be done.  The stages of emphysema are based primarily on these results.



No matter what the results, please do not go back to smoking.  At this time quitting smoking is the most important thing that you can do for yourself!  Congratulations, you have made a wise decision to stop smoking!  You may want to look at our giving up smoking information at http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/wellness/smoking/index.aspx for ways to help you stay smoke free.  Also check with your doctor for other quit smoking resources in your area.
Member Comments (7)

by LLRT, Dec 01, 2005 12:00AM
As a respiratory therapist, I see this all the time. You are young but have smoked half your life. The damage that is done is done. You have "slightly" and I stress slightly hyperinflated lungs. This does mean you have empysema, but at the very beginning stages. You stop prgressing in the disease by stopping the smoking and stop causing more damage. So your on the right track! What happens is that as you damage your lungs by smoking, you begin to lose the elastic recoil. Let me explain...When you breathe in...your lungs fill with air... as you exhale your lungs "recoil" back to their original resting state until you breathe in again. Your lungs in a sense are like a rubber band. You stretch them when you breath in and they spring back or "recoil" when you breathe out. When you start to loose the recoil, your lungs stick in a hyperstretched or "hyperinflated" state. From what you have told me, you are active with no cough or sputum and not on any Oxygen now. I feel that you will be just fine. Really!! As long as you do not smoke and stay away from others that do you will not progress to needing oxygen. However, I am concerned about the chest tightness and fatigue. Usually a doctor will prescribe bronchodilators which are inhalers that dilate your airways if there is inflamation. A few common inhalers prescribed are Albuterol and Combivent and these should relieve the tightness that you are feeling. They are quick acting and you should feel a response within minutes. Since you are active and young, you should not be fatigued all the time. Do you have tightness during physical activity? If the inhalers don't work for your tightness then consider having your heart looked at. Chest tightness and fatigue is a symptom of many heart conditions. FYI: You could have PFT's done to see just how progressed your Emphysema is. These are "pulmonary function tests." They are outpatient tests where you sit in a room with a Resp Therapist and do multiple breathing patterns like blowing all your air out as fast as you can, breathing rapidly for a minute, etc... the amount of air is measures and compared to normal values to see how damages your lungs really are. Hope this helps.

by EROS, Dec 05, 2005 12:00AM
You may have hyper-inflated lungs, from what I have read if your FEV1 is good you have nothing to worry about, providing you never smoke agian and stay away from fumes. A good site to get answers from a real live (+ considerate) Pulmo is www.yourlunghealth.org , go through the question archives, you will find some relating to your situation.



You symptoms sound like they could be from hyper ventilation syndrome (google it).



I do have a question for LLRRT, if one has a normal HRCT and an FEV1 of over 100% with a FEV1/ FVC of 75%, what does a CXR that shows Hyperinflated lungs indicate?



Good luck all.



by tcby1000, Dec 08, 2005 12:00AM
To: deb0rah73
I was just wondering, was this a plain chest x-ray or CT you had to detenct hyperinflated lungs?    Also, do you feel short of breath during rest?  Kind of like you just can't get a good breath, or that your lung capacity is too little?   Is that how you feel or is it different?



thanks

by iloverunning, Jan 02, 2006 12:00AM
I'm 15 and i run and i had a breathing test and my breathing level was a little over 150% and he said that my lungs are inflated, what does that mean exactly? Is it bad?

by richcon, Jan 25, 2006 12:00AM
Hi I was diagnosed with Spontaneous pneumothorax and also

Hyperinflation of my lungs.I am 23 I dont SMOKE no drugs I had Asthma when I was a child. My question is will Hyperinflation

of my lungs go back to normal because I get very out of breath

quickly. Ive had symptoms for about 2 months, now 2 months ago

is when the Pneumothorax happened. I dont know what to think or do Ive been to the Pulmonaligest countless times and I took the COPD breathing test they said it looked normal, but that the Doctor needed to look at the results, PLEASE help. Thanks

by iloverunning, Jan 31, 2006 12:00AM
umm. can someone answer my ?
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