Causes And Treatments Of Lung Spots - How To Identify And Treat Lung Spots

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A lung spot is a spot that is identified on the lungs through an x-ray. When going for health checkups we often conduct an x-ray on our chest to see how our lungs are functioning. Sometimes, there is a spot seen on the lungs in the x-ray plate. These spots are known as lung spots.There can be many variations of lung spots.

At times these lung spots do not indicate anything harmful. These lung spots are benign lung spots and there is no cause to worry for. However, there are other spots which can be dangerous. These lung spots may also indicate that the spots are cancerous. If lung spots are found in your x-ray then you should ask your physician about what you should do and consider all the possibilities that are available to you. There is no need to become worried immediately after the identification of lung spots. It is widely believed that lung spots are not common. However, this is not true. These lung spots are quite common. The following article will elaborate on the causes of lung spots as well as the treatment for lung spots.

Causes Of Lung Spots

Types Of Lung Spots

Lung spots can be of various types. There are also several causes of lung spots. Most lung spots occur due to scratches on the lungs which may be caused by respiratory infections that happen in the lungs.

These lung spots are of the benign variety.Some lung spots are also malignant and may lead to cancer while other lung spots are a form of benign tumor.Lung spots that are benign do not cause any pain and are easy to see on the x-ray while they are not difficult to diagnose.

These spots are nodules that occur on the lungs due to inflammation, tumor or infection.Another frequent type of lung spot is granulomas, which occurs due to scarring in the lungs. This scarring on the lungs can be due to infection or inflammation. However there is another cause of granulomas. It can be caused by a fungus known as coccidioidomycosis or histoplasmosis.

Identifying A Lung Spot A lung spot is generally a pulmonary nodule. If this pulmonary nodule is less than 3 centimeters in size then it is treated as a spot while if it is bigger than 3 centimeters then it known as a mass. These spots are either round in shape or oval.In order to determine whether your lung spots are benign or cancerous, you will need to undergo further tests. If a lung spot is identified in your x-ray then your physician will probably monitor the spot or spots to determine whether they are cancerous.There are generally three ways to identify the types of lung spots that you may have.

One of the most widespread methods of identifying a lung spot is by the help of a CT scan. A CT scan monitors the changes in your lung spots and thus helps to determine whether they are malignant or not. For instance, if there is no change in your lung spots then the chances are that your lung spots are like granulomas. However if there is a change, then it is likely that the lung spots are forming a tumor.If your lung spots become larger with time, then your physician will also conduct a transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy or TNAB to find out whether the lung spot is malignant. This is another way to identify the type of lung spot that you have. Finally, the third method to identify the kind of lung spot that you have is to go through a complete physical examination. Your physician will be able to determine the type of lung spots that you have with the results of this examination.It is important to identify the causes of lung spots so that the proper steps for their treatment can be taken to ensure your safety and health.

Treatment Of Lung Spots

Once the lung spots and the causes of lung spots have been identified, it is necessary to start the treatment.Since there is a possibility that lung spots may become malignant and cancerous, it is important to take these seriously. If a lung spot that is cancerous and is detected early, then its treatment can also be more effective. However, even if the lung spot is not cancerous, if it detected early, then it can be treated accordingly. Once it has been identified that you have lung spots, you should consult your physician immediately. This is because; you have to know whether your lung spots are malignant. If your lung spots are malignant or cancerous then you will have to take the necessary steps to treat it as soon as possible. Cancer from lung spots is one of the most deadly kinds and also spreads very fast so the treatment should be started immediately. One factor to note is that if you are a smoker or if you have been exposed to asbestos then you should take extra care if you are identified with lung spots. Thus if you smoke or work in a place that exposes you to asbestos then you should make sure to go for a chest x-ray at least once every year.

Prevention Of Lung Spots

As already mentioned, lung spots are quite frequent. Since the presence of lung spots is widespread, it is not always possible to prevent them from occurring. Nevertheless, there are certain measures that can be adopted to reduce the chances of developing lung spots. One such measure that you can adopt is to avoid smoking. Smoking is one of the most common causes for the occurrence of lung spots. Hence, if you are a smoker, you should stop smoking to minimize the chances of developing lung spots. There is also an increased risk of the lung spots becoming cancerous if you are a smoker. Another method of reducing the possibility of lung spots is to treat any respiratory diseases that you may have.Finally, exposure to asbestos leads to lung spots, therefore if you need to work with asbestos, make sure that you take proper precautions.