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Doctor insights on: Living With One Lung Medical Questions

Little or no risk: If normal lungs and bronchi (no asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc), little or no dust remains in lungs. Flow of mucus carrying foreign particles ("ciliary elevator") brings it up to where it is swallowed and passes out the GI tract. This can be overwhelmed by very heavy exposure to certain dusts (e.g. silicosis or black lung in miners), but usually no health effects even with heavy dust exposure. ...Read more

Find a therapist: Having chronic illness can put a lot of strain on a person and cause depression and anxiety. Feeling like you are always having some medical issue is very frustrating. Talk with your doctor about a referral to a good therapist. Finding better ways to manage your stress can help you manage your illness better as well. It won't make your disease go away, but may help you feel better! ...Read more

Sometimes: The lung itself can't feel pain. But the outer lining of the lung can, and if there is inflammation of the lung that involves the outer edge, then pain will be felt. In addition, pain to the shoulders or collar bone can be referred from the diaphragm, which may be irritated from the coughing or inflammation near the diaphragm. If it persists, you should see a doctor. ...Read more

Sure: Some degree of radiation fibrosis is to be expected. Different people get less or more. It's usually little or no trouble. People actually have lungs removed for lung cancer, and do okay afterwards. I hope she got a good result from her cancer treatment, and that if she smokes now, she will stop. Best wishes. ...Read more

No: I can find no evidence for this. ...Read more

Best bet: You might want to contact a pulmonologist on HealthTap Concierge to discuss further. ...Read more

Bronchitis: Cough and phlegm production are typical symptoms of bronchitis. Chest tightness, pressure and wheezing may also occur. These are usually due to viruses in the winter months, but if your symptoms continue for longer than 2 weeks you should see your healthcare provider. ...Read more

You are welcome: This is exactly what this website is intended for, to try and help people with problems and health related questions. You are welcome. ...Read more

Chemical: If you cannot do the prescribed activity for an exercise stress test, you can have a chemical stress test where a chemical makes your heart beat faster (like it would if you were exercising). ...Read more

PE: Pe cause pain as it causes infarction of the affected part. If there is involvement of the pleural then pleurisy would be one of the symptoms as well. ...Read more

Move on: Katrina was >5 years ago - it's time to move beyond it. You surely sound depressed. You should seek help in that regard. If there is truly no one in your family who cares, you need to develop new relationships based on mutual caring - a support group could be very helpful. There are excellent mental health centers in houston. Please seek help; you can't raise yourself by your own bootstraps. ...Read more

Yes: Yes, as long as the lung is normal and healthy. ...Read more

Tough to: Living and breathing adequately on only one Eight (less than 13%) of your lung function would be difficult. ...Read more

Hard to say: The added metabolic needs and stress of pregnancy are well known.The best people to answer that question would be those who have evaluated you fully and can project the impact of pregnancy on your individual case.I cannot speculate on your remaining lung function and or whatever other conditions you have that led to your loss of a lung. ...Read more

Yes: You may experience earlier tiredness and shortness of breath but many patients have near normal activity with one lung. ...Read more

Cardio or weights!: As long as your heart rate is kept about 70% of 220-age in years, you should be ok. It will take less exertion to get their, but the exercise will improve your perception of lung problems because your heart will be more efficient! ...Read more

Lungs don't hurt: Lung tissue has no pain receptors. The lung lining does and it may hurt if you have pleurisy or another pleural problem. Your chest may also feel tight if you have asthma, bronchitis or severe cough. If this persists, get yourself checked. ...Read more

No: Just so you don't make a habit of this. ...Read more

Could be normal...: Most people have a larger right lung than left lung. This is normal. The heart sits in the middle of the chest and takes up more space on the left than the right side of the chest in most people. There is less room in the left chest. Most people have two left lung lobes and three right lung lobes. Having one lung be slightly smaller than the other is usual. ...Read more

No: No. No chance.

Very involved : It is a very big deal to donate a lung to someone. In fact, i don't think i've ever heard of a living lung donor. It's a big surgery, and you could lose more than half your lung function. Usually, lungs come from deceased donors. It's a noble thought, but i'm not sure the transplant surgeon would do that. Good luck to your nana. ...Read more

Not an alive one.: One can aspirate anything from food to fluids, to bugs, but one usually coughs it out.
If something stuck in airway, bronchoscopy is the procedure to see and remove. ...Read more

Healing: Maybe you had something wrong that healed or the technique was changed. ...Read more

Not sure: It is not clear what you mean by hole, so without knowing exactly what you mean it is impossible to answer. ...Read more

No.: The major effect of these paddles is on the heart. They can sometimes restart a heart that is stopped, and sometimes reset an abnormal rhythm and get it to go back to normal. I have never heard of a lung "bursting" like you describe. ...Read more

2 ways: imaging - either chest xray or CT scan
Bronchoscopy for direct visualization

Also, you could add exam. If a patient came in with stridor, that would be an indication of a potential foreign body in an airway. Pt may also be hypoxic depending on how large the object was and where it is. ...Read more

Immediately: There is no evidence that a single cigarette would do any detectable damage. Even after brief periods of heavy smoking, the lungs will recover (and there are no "ashes" in our lungs) within several weeks to months. Heavy smokers may take years to fully heal, and underlying damage (scarring, emphysema) do not ever heal completely. Most estimate that it takes 10 years after quitting to get normal. ...Read more

Residual Lung: Longevity after lung resection is based on a number of factors including baseline lung function, activity level, and residual lung volume. There are patients that can live decades after removal of a whole lung (pneumonectomy) and patients who live only months after a partial lung resection. ...Read more

Hmmm pain on: Inspiration? You might have pleuritic chest pain. I would see your family doctor or respiratory physician. They might listen to your lungs and breath sounds and get an xray. ...Read more

Depends: Published 5yr first recurrence rates for primary spontaneous pneumothorax are around 20-30+%. For secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, around 40+%. As noted, really depends on cause of your first collapsed lung (pneumothorax). If this was spontaneous (non-traumatic), you should have consultation thoracic surgeon. May benefit from further investigation and possibly vats. ...Read more