Doctor warned about the insidiousness of lung diseases

Serious lung diseases can develop for a long time without cough or other obvious symptoms until the organ's function begins to significantly deteriorate. This was stated by pulmonologist Sandeep Nayar in a conversation with the Times of India.

As reported by BAKU.WS, in the early stages, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma may manifest not with a cough but with persistent fatigue, shortness of breath during routine physical activities, a feeling of tightness in the chest, shallow breathing, and leg swelling.

According to the specialist, even as the disease progresses, people often ignore warning signs, attributing shortness of breath when climbing stairs or walking to age, excess weight, or insufficient physical activity.

Nayar emphasized that a gradual decrease in exercise tolerance may be one of the most common early signs of declining lung function.

The doctor recommends not delaying a visit to a specialist if unusual shortness of breath or persistent fatigue persists for two to three weeks. In such cases, one should consult a doctor or pulmonologist and undergo spirometry — a test that allows the evaluation of lung function.