Lung Damage

[CowTown]

I was wondering whether having the majority of lung damage is worse on the upper or lower lobes, or does it matter? Do we use all areas of our lungs the same and therefore it doesn't matter where the damage is?

 

[NoExcuses]

i'm guessing that most CFers get lung damage in their lower lobes. Due to gravity, most of our mucus settles in this area - and it's the hardest area to cough up.

in terms of which area is better to have lung damage - i think they're all equally bad <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif" border="0">

 

[EnergyGal]

I agree with Amy. My lung damage from CF lungs were in my lower lungs. I remember seeing round circles the year before my transplant. I think this was Bronchiectasis. Gravity is definitely not a good thing for lungs. that is why I like the vest and the trampoline for clearing and I always did postural drainage plus the vest for cpt.

 

[wanderlost]

my lung damage is all upper right now, and I was told that that was "better" only in the sense that since it easier to bring that stuff up it is also more easy to treat sometimes, as it doesn't settle as well as it does in the lower lubes.

 

[CowTown]

Interesting. The majority of my damage is in the upper left side. I haven't actually seen my xrays probably for about 8+years. They've told me I have visible holes/circles/cysts and the most pronounced ones are in the upper.

It seems so strange to think cf can cause damage in certain areas of the lungs and not everywhere at the same rate.

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>wanderlost</b></i>

my lung damage is all upper right now, and I was told that that was "better" only in the sense that since it easier to bring that stuff up it is also more easy to treat sometimes, as it doesn't settle as well as it does in the lower lubes.</end quote></div>

are you talking about damage or mucus plugs

damage is irreversable.... so when you say "bring that stuff up" and "easy to treat", this makes me think you are talking about mucus. not scarring or permanent lung damage.

kel, were you talking about permanent lunch damage or were you talking about mucus?

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>MyNewfy</b></i>



It seems so strange to think cf can cause damage in certain areas of the lungs and not everywhere at the same rate.</end quote></div>


damage in certain areas and not other is due to bacteria, for the most part. if you have PA or micobacteria, it's not in ever single square inch of your lungs. it's probably concentrated in one lobe or another. hence, the damage not occuring everywhere at the same rate.

 

[CowTown]

I was asking about damage, I suppose. Holes mean damage, right? Q just PM me and mentioned that certain lobes only account for certain percentages of your total lung function. Anyone have any more info about that sort of thing?

 

[NoExcuses]

holes = damange, yes

 

[Jane]

This is interesting. I have a question about what you see on an x-ray. Are the cloudy spots damage, or mucus or infection or what?

 

[wanderlost]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>amy</b></i>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>wanderlost</b></i>



my lung damage is all upper right now, and I was told that that was "better" only in the sense that since it easier to bring that stuff up it is also more easy to treat sometimes, as it doesn't settle as well as it does in the lower lubes.</end quote></div>



are you talking about damage or mucus plugs



damage is irreversable.... so when you say "bring that stuff up" and "easy to treat", this makes me think you are talking about mucus. not scarring or permanent lung damage.



kel, were you talking about permanent lunch damage or were you talking about mucus?</end quote></div>

Well, I am saying that all my x-rays only show lung damage almost exclusively in the upper lobes. My CF doc said that because my thick yucky mucus is mostly concentrated in the upper lobes, which are easier to clear out, so when I exercise and use inhalers, antibiotics, etc, and that mucuous is up and out of there easier, that decongestion is an aid to the other suplpements in treating the CF - if that mkes sense. Not treating the damage, but keeping me healthier in the sense of less infection and bugs. As far as bugs go, I just got PA recently and have not had anything else, so whether or not this changes, we'll see...for now, upper damage only.

 

[sue35]

I also only have upper damage. It is all in my right side. I have never brought anything up but the good thing I guess is that is hasn't traveled down. So for right now, only in the upper lobes

 

[Debi]

My damage is mostly in my left upper lobe.


-------------------------

Debi
54 w/cf

 

[catboogie]

i'm sort of glad the thread found its way to where people have damage because i think that is really interesting! i have the most damage in my lower left lobe. since i can remember, i have had more crackles on that side and the x-rays looked worse. i was told that my scarring mostly occured when i was 0-3 and they didn't know i had CF, and especially when i was hospitalized with a very bad lung infection right before i was diagnosed. does this sound right?

also, one of my doctors once told me that it was more common for CFers to have damage to their lower right lobe than their lower left. this was a while ago so it could be outdated information, but still interesting.

laura, 27

 

[LisaV]

My husband's major damage (since childhood) was in his lower left lobe.

 

[LouLou]

My upper right lobe is the most damaged and also gets the most congested during infections. Interestingly, my diagnosis when I was 2 was due to having pneumonia twice and both times it was in the upper right lobe. Seems I've had trouble with that lobe from the get go. I can tell my parents worked the cpt harder on that side than the left because I have more broken blood vessels on that side than the left. Anyone else have broken blood vessels from manual cpt when they were little?