Nowadays people are facing a whole lot of health issues, in each and every house one can find people suffering from numerous diseases. The lifestyle of the people has affected the life of the people in several ways. One of the most common diseases is a lung disease, where the lungs are damaged and people face a hard time breathing properly. In the current scenario many people of different age groups suffer from this problem, they take different meditations to heal their damaged lungs but most of the time people are unsuccessful. But the best part is one can opt for a lung transplant which can help you overcome the problems you were facing with damaged lungs. Lung transplant is a method where after a fruitful surgery one can get the benefits of healthful lungs.
Symptoms of Damaged Lungs
There are countless symptoms through which one can realise their lungs are not working properly. Some of the basic symptoms are mentioned below:-
- The main function of lungs is to inhale pure air and exhale the unnecessary gases out of our body. One can easily make out problems in the lungs if they are facing hard times in breathing.
- If an individual is failing to breathe properly.
- One feels suffocation even in an open area.
- Most of the time one can even feel pain while the inhaling and exhaling process.
- Regular cough problems can also be the basic symptoms of lung damage.
- Most often people cough blood along with the mucus.
- Feeling shortness of breath during normal household chores or regular exercises
If a person is facing any of the above given symptoms then one must visit the doctor as soon as possible.
When should one opt for lung transplant?
If you are suffering from simple breathing problems then the doctor won’t directly suggest you for a lung transplant. As most often minor lung problems can be controlled by medication or simple surgery. But in some of the cases, the lungs are extremely damaged which further creates problems with other organs too.
If the patient suffers from any of the below given diseases then lung transplant is the only way to save their life for few more years:-
- COPD which stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease these are the lung diseases which can adversely affect the breathing procedure within the person.
- Most often people may suffer from pulmonary hypertension, they are advised for lung transplant.
- Occasionally one can face the situation where their heart disease can affect their lungs functioning too. If one is facing this situation then the experts will advise them for both heart and lung transplant together.
- There are several diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, histiocytosis and many more which can deteriorate the conditions of the lungs in a very short interval.
Things to Take Care Prior to Lung Transplant
One should watch out for many essential things before going for a transplant. Some of the basic things to consider while opting for a lung transplant are as follows:-
- The foremost important thing is to choose the best center for the transplant, get all related information about the center.
- One must keep a good check on the survival rate of the patient’s post lung transplant surgery. It depends on the success rate of the center.
- One should get the information if the selected center covers their insurance policies. Occasionally people face the issue where their insurance policies are not covered by the center.
- The center you have selected has to be around your area or one can rent an apartment nearby the center. If any emergency occurs then the doctors can be available. If the center gets the donor then the patient can reach the center in a short interval. In a very small interval of time, a lung has to be transplanted to the patient.
Procedure For Lung Transplant
- Prior to transplant surgery, there are many procedures that the patient has to go through. If the patient has any other medical history they should consult the doctor. The specialist performing the surgery should be aware of all the details of the past medical history of the patient. The experts go for a full body examination of the patient before the transplant process. As during the transplant, there are different types of antibiotics used by the specialist. So the experts make sure that the medicines and antibiotics do not give a negative reaction.
- The patient has to be both mentally and physically fit according to the criteria of the lung transplant. Once the doctors are confirmed about your fitness, the patient’s name is added to the waiting list for the transplant. In the period between the specialist suggests you with a healthy lifestyle, where one should be regular with exercises and eat healthy food. Most often people are restricted from consuming tobacco and drinking alcohol and even junk foods are said to be avoided.
- When the specialist gets the donor they check various details regarding the similarities between the donor and the recipient their blood groups are matched, physical health of the two are checked.
- Following the procedure, the operation begins and the person is given anesthesia. Following which the damaged lungs are taken out in the surgery and the donor’s lungs and attached to the recipient’s heart.
- After the surgery the patient is kept in ICU under strict observation, to observe the functioning of the lungs, and during this time patients are given mechanical ventilators. For around two to three weeks the patient is kept in the center, there are chances of any sort of emergencies during this period.
For around 4 to 5 months the patient has to visit the center for a regular checkup. The specialist checks if the lungs are adopting the new body or not. A lung transplant can be helpful for most of the people who are suffering from extremely damaged lungs. After the successful transplant of lungs, one should live a healthy lifestyle and avoid all the restricted food by the experts. At times it is extremely hard for the organs to adjust in the new body, therefore one needs to be extra careful.