“Ground glass opacity: Causes, symptoms, and treatments - Medical News Today” plus 1 more

Ground glass opacity: Causes, symptoms, and treatments - Medical News Today

Posted: 30 Mar 2021 03:14 AM PDT

Ground glass opacity (GGO) refers to the hazy gray areas that can show up in CT scans or X-rays of the lungs. These gray areas indicate increased density inside the lungs.

The term comes from a technique in glassmaking during which the surface of the glass is blasted by sand. This technique gives the glass a hazy white or frosted appearance.

There are many potential causes of GGO, including infections, inflammation, and growths. One 2020 review also found that GGO was the most common anomaly among people with COVID-19-related pneumonia.

This article will look at what GGO is, some of its causes, and its treatment options.

GGO refers to gray areas that can show up in lung X-rays or CT scans.

Normally, the lungs appear black in X-ray and CT scans. This indicates that they are free of any visible blockages.

However, gray areas indicate increased density, meaning that something is partially filling the air spaces inside the lungs. This could be due to:

the air spaces becoming partially filled with fluid, pus, or cells
the walls of the alveoli, which are the tiny air sacs in the lungs, thickening
the space between the lungs thickening

GGO can be due to many conditions. Sometimes, the cause is benign. Other times, it may be the temporary result of a short-term illness. However, it can also indicate a more serious or long-term condition.

There are several types of GGO. These include:

Diffuse: Diffuse opacities show up in multiple lobes of one or both lungs. This pattern occurs when the air in the lungs is replaced with fluid, inflammation, or damaged tissue.
Nodular: This type can indicate both benign and malignant conditions. GGO that persists over several scans may indicate either premalignant or malignant growths.
Centrilobular: This type appears within one or several lobules of the lung. Lobules are the hexagonal divisions of the lung. The connective tissue between the lobules is unaffected.
Mosaic: This pattern develops when small arteries or airways within the lung are blocked. The opaque areas vary in intensity.
Crazy paving: Crazy paving shows up as a linear pattern. It can occur when the spaces between the lobules widen.
Halo sign: This type of opacity fills the area around the nodules.
Reversed halo sign: A reversed halo sign is an area that is almost totally surrounded by liquid-filled tissue.

The shape, size, quantity, and location of opacities will vary depending on the cause. Some conditions cause only one type, but others may cause a mixture.

The sections below will look at some potential causes in more detail.

Infections are common causes of GGO. Such infections include:

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a serious infection in the lungs. It can result from viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Most often, it occurs as a result of a viral illness, such as influenza (flu), measles, or respiratory syncytial virus.

The symptoms can vary depending on the cause, but they typically include:

Most cases of viral pneumonia improve on their own. Fluids, rest, and oxygen therapy may help.

Doctors treat bacterial and fungal pneumonia with medications.

COVID-19

A 2020 review and meta-analysis found that just over 83% of people with COVID-19-related pneumonia had GGO.

Another 2020 study in 54 participants found that GGO most commonly showed up in the lower lobes of the lungs as round opacities, but that as the disease progressed, it became more patchy and affected all lobes.

The symptoms of COVID-19 can include any of the following:

If a person has symptoms that could indicate COVID-19, they should remain at home, self-isolate from others, and seek information from their local authority about getting tested.

Learn more about COVID-19 symptoms and what to do if they occur here.

Pneumonitis, or inflammation in the lungs, can occur if a person inhales:

allergens or irritants, which can contribute to hypersensitivity pneumonitis
electronic cigarette smoke, which can cause e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI)
toxins, such as asbestos

Certain drugs can also cause pneumonitis and accompanying GGO. Typically, this type of pneumonitis occurs shortly after a person begins taking a new drug.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis

The symptoms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis can include:

a cough
short-term shortness of breath
fever
pain

Other names for this condition include farmer's lung and hot tub lung.

In the short term, doctors treat this condition by trying to identify and remove the trigger of a person's symptoms. The person may also require medications and oxygen therapy.

In the long term, the condition may cause chronic fatigue, weight loss, and irreversible scarring.

EVALI

E-cigarettes and vaping devices contain nicotine concentrates, solvents, and other chemicals. These products can cause EVALI.

EVALI may cause numerous types of GGO, including crazy paving and reversed halo sign, to show up on a scan.

Vaping can also cause alveolar hemorrhage. There is more detail on this condition below.

Interstitial lung disease is an umbrella term that includes many different conditions. They all cause inflammation and scarring around the alveoli, lining of the lungs, and blood vessels.

These conditions could be due to an autoimmune disease, a connective tissue disorder, or toxin exposure.

The progression of interstitial lung disease varies from person to person depending on what caused it.

Symptoms vary from mild to severe. They may include:

shortness of breath
labored breathing
a dry cough
severe tiredness or weakness
mild chest pain
unexplained weight loss

Treatment aims to slow the progression of the condition. Doctors may use supplemental oxygen, anti-inflammatory drugs, or immunosuppressant drugs.

Pulmonary edema is the result of fluid collecting in the air spaces of the lungs. It can be due to several conditions, including heart failure and altitude sickness.

Symptoms include:

coughing up blood
shortness of breath
difficulty breathing when lying down
sweating
restlessness
blue- or white-tinged fingertips or lips

People with these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately, as sudden pulmonary edema can be an emergency.

Alveolar hemorrhage occurs when the blood vessels in the lungs become damaged, leading to bleeding.

It is a medical emergency that can result from numerous conditions, including autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and bleeding disorders.

The symptoms can vary widely and may include:

coughing up blood
difficulty breathing
anemia
respiratory failure

Doctors treat most cases of alveolar hemorrhage with steroids to reduce inflammation and immunosuppressants to stop the immune system from damaging the blood vessels further.

Sometimes, GGO nodules in the lung can indicate cancer.

Lung cancer may not have pronounced symptoms in the early stages of the condition. However, a person should speak with their doctor if they experience:

a persistent cough that worsens
shortness of breath
pain in the chest, shoulders, or back
voice changes
weight loss

Treatment varies according to the severity and type of cancer a person has. It may include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy.

After a doctor finds GGO in a CT scan or X-ray, they will take note of the size, shape, location, and distribution of the opacities to determine the likely cause.

They may also order more tests, such as:

lung function tests
sputum tests
blood tests
bronchoscopy
lung biopsy
a CT scan, for those who have received X-rays, as CT scans show more detail

They may also order electrocardiography and echocardiography to see if a person's lung problems could be the result of a heart condition.

Receiving test results can be worrying. Here are some questions that a person may wish to ask their doctor:

What can the scan results tell us?
In which part of the lung is the GGO?
What type of GGO is present? Are there multiple types?
Could it indicate a benign condition?
Will other diagnostic tests help determine the cause?

GGO can show up on an X-ray or CT scan of the lungs. It appears as hazy gray areas that can indicate a range of conditions.

Some causes of GGO may be benign and resolve on their own, while others may be chronic.

Can you get lung cancer from smoking weed? Risks and more - Medical News Today

Posted: 29 Mar 2021 12:00 AM PDT

Scientists are not sure if smoking weed can cause lung cancer. However, cannabis smoke contains many of the same chemicals as tobacco smoke, which doctors know can cause lung cancer.

Additionally, many people use both cannabis and tobacco. As people who smoke tobacco are 15–30 times more likely to develop or die from lung cancer than those who do not, mixing cannabis with tobacco use will impact a person's risk.

In this article, we will look in more detail at whether you can get lung cancer from smoking weed. We will also look at the other ways cannabis may affect the lungs and discuss the safest methods for using it.

Researchers are not sure if smoking weed can cause lung cancer. However, there are similarities between tobacco smoke and cannabis smoke. This may mean that smoking cannabis contributes to a person's lung cancer risk.

Smoking any product is harmful to the lungs. When plants burn, they release chemicals that can cause cancer. These are known as carcinogens.

When people inhale carcinogens, it damages cell DNA in the nose, mouth, esophagus, and lungs. Over time, this raises the risk that cells will grow in abnormal ways and form a tumor.

Tobacco smoke is linked to 80–90% of lung cancer deaths in the United States. Cannabis smoke contains many of the same toxins. In fact, compared with the carcinogens in cigarette smoke, cannabis smoke contains:

about 50% more benzopyrene
about 75% more benzanthracene
more phenols, vinyl chlorides, nitrosamines, and reactive oxygen species

Because people inhale more deeply when smoking cannabis, it also leads to four times the amount of tar deposits in the lungs compared to cigarettes.

However, people use tobacco and cannabis in different ways, which may affect cannabis smoke's impact on lung cancer risk. For example, people may smoke cannabis less often than people typically smoke tobacco, as its effects last longer than nicotine.

It can also be challenging to determine whether cannabis or tobacco is responsible for lung cancer, as people often use both. Overall, scientists need to perform more studies to assess the risk.

Cannabis smoke can harm the lungs in several ways. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cannabis smoke affects people by:

irritating the throat and lungs
increasing inflammation, or swelling, in the airways
increasing airway resistance, creating less room for air to move in and out
leading to hyperinflation, which occurs when air gets trapped inside the lungs, making it more difficult for the body to pull in fresh air
damaging or scarring small blood vessels in the lungs

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regularly smoking cannabis also increases the risk of respiratory side effects, such as:

coughing
wheezing
overproduction of phlegm

Some studies indicate that smoking cannabis may cause or worsen other lung conditions. These include:

Bronchitis

Bronchitis occurs when the airways swell. The symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

According to the Ameri c an Lung Association, people who regularly smoke cannabis may be more at risk for acute bronchitis. Over time, lung damage may lead to chronic bronchitis.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is the result of a severe lung infection. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi.

The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis can suppress the immune system, which some scientists suggest may put cannabis smokers at risk for respiratory infections, such as pneumonia.

However, studies on this have mixed results. Some find no connection between cannabis use and pneumonia.

The symptoms of pneumonia include:

a cough that produces green, yellow, or bloody mucus
fever
sweating
chills
shortness of breath
shallow breathing
sharp chest pain that worsens when breathing deeply or coughing
fatigue
feeling sick
confusion

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Smoking cannabis with tobacco can contribute to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a chronic condition that gets worse over time. There is no cure.

Symptoms include:

coughing or wheezing
overproduction of phlegm
shortness of breath
difficulty taking a deep breath

As with cannabis smoke a person directly inhales, secondhand cannabis smoke contains many of the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke. This means it may cause harm to others in a household who are exposed to the smoke.

Secondhand cannabis smoke also contains THC. This means that people can experience a "high" from inhaling it. Exposure to THC from a young age may impact brain development, causing problems with attention and memory.

Smoking is not the only way to use cannabis. Some people choose to vape, dab, or consume edibles, for example.

However, it is worth noting that many of these methods are relatively new. As a result, scientists have not yet studied their health effects in depth.

Vaping

Vaping cannabis involves using a device, such as a vape pen, to heat and vaporize oils contained in cannabis. This eliminates the need for smoke.

However, there is not enough evidence to prove that vaping cannabis is safe. This method may have similar risks to electronic cigarette use.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported hundreds of cases of serious illness and several deaths that are linked with vaping. Many of the products included THC, nicotine, or a mixture of both. Currently, it is not clear which compound causes these illnesses.

Dabbing

Dabbing involves inhaling a concentrated dose of THC through a dab rig, which is a type of vaporizer.

Many people believe this is safer than smoking or vaping. However, the American Lung Association says dabbing may also lead to respiratory problems.

Edibles

Edibles such as candies, gummies, and beverages have become a popular way to use cannabis. They eliminate the need to inhale smoke or other substances, making edibles safer for the lungs than smoking or vaping.

However, there are downsides to using edibles. Compared to smoking, they:

take longer to work
can be difficult to control in terms of potency
last longer in the body

This means that if a person experiences side effects from using cannabis, they may be more severe or last longer than the side effects of smoking it. A person may also accidentally take too much.

In high doses, cannabis may cause:

It is not clear if there is an entirely safe way to use cannabis. Because many alternatives to smoking are new, doctors do not know much about their long-term effects.

Some states in the U.S. have legalized the use of cannabis on medical grounds. One of the most common uses is to treat the pain and nausea associated with cancer or chemotherapy.

In cases where there is a medical benefit to using cannabis, people can work with a doctor to weigh the risks against the potential benefits.

Scientists cannot be sure if smoking weed causes lung cancer. What they do know is that cannabis smoke contains many of the same cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco smoke. As a result, there may be some risks.

Smoking cannabis can irritate the throat and lungs and may contribute to lung conditions such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and COPD. Other methods of using cannabis, such as vaping and edibles, may be safer than smoking. However, their long-term impact is still unknown.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome