WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF LUNG DISEASE?
First I should clarify the difference between signs and symptoms. Symptoms are what bother the patient; they are whatever abnormalities the patient notices, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or cough. Signs are what the physician sees or observes about the patient, such as blue nailbeds, fast breathing, abnormal sounds heard with the stethoscope, or a temperature of 103°. Signs may also include abnormal chest xrays and other laboratory findings. We can think of symptoms as the subjective aspect of illness and signs as the objective aspect. Both are important in diagnosing and treating any illness, especially lung disease. The most common symptoms of lung disease are: • Cough • shortness of breath (either at rest or on exertion), also known as dyspnea • chest tightness or chest pain • hemoptysis (coughing up blood, as observed by the patient) • chills • noisy breathing (as heard by the patient) The most common signs of lung disease are: • dyspnea although as classically defined
