Symptoms of radiation pneumonitis

Update Date: 2022-09-20 Source: Network

summary

The so-called radiation pneumonitis actually refers to a kind of lung damage caused by the patients who need chest radiotherapy because of some tumors, because they do not control well in the process of letting go, the area of radiation field is too large, and radiotherapy is too urgent. Most patients with radiation pneumonitis have mild symptoms, and the inflammatory damage caused by lung can be gradually alleviated by themselves. However, patients with severe radiation pneumonitis can have extensive pulmonary fibrosis, and lead to respiratory function damage, even respiratory failure.

Symptoms of radiation pneumonitis

Lung cancer, breast cancer and esophageal cancer patients often need to receive radiotherapy, and the radiation site is concentrated in the chest, so this kind of patients are prone to radiation pneumonitis. This disease generally starts to show symptoms about 2 to 3 weeks after radiotherapy. Patients will have irritating dry cough and shortness of breath.

Patients with radiation pneumonitis sometimes have chest pain and palpitations. This disease can lead to body fever, also can not lead to body fever, rare cases of patients with high body heat. Radiation pneumonitis patients are prone to radiation esophagitis at the same time, which makes it difficult for patients to swallow food.

After suffering from radiation pneumonitis, because patients are receiving chest radiotherapy, some patients' chest skin will atrophy and become hard. Dry rales or wet rales can be found in the lungs after the onset of the disease. The lung function of the patients gradually decreases, and can lead to primary heart disease.

matters needing attention

Radiation pneumonitis can be accompanied by bronchopneumonia, or lead to right heart failure and emphysema. In fact, the incidence rate of radiation pneumonitis is decreasing gradually, mainly because of the continuous improvement of radiation technology level, the increasing accuracy of radiation and the shrinking area of radiation field.