Lung inflammation can be acute rapidly occurring and severe or chronic persistent or recurrent. The diagnosis may involve a physical exam, blood tests, imaging tests, and other procedures. Treatment is typically focused on treating the underlying cause, but anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressant drugs may be prescribed to directly treat the inflammation.

Sometimes surgery is needed. This article explains some common symptoms and causes of different types of lung inflammation. It also discusses how inflammation in the lungs is diagnosed and treated. Symptoms of lung inflammation can develop very suddenly or gradually over time.

The symptoms vary based on the underlying cause, the extent of the inflammation, and your general health. Symptoms of lung inflammation may include:.

With chronic lung inflammation, a loss of appetite and unintended weight loss are common. When severe, lung inflammation can limit airflow or lower your ability to absorb oxygen.

This can cause hypoxemia low blood oxygen or hypoxia low oxygen in tissues , leading to symptoms like:. Over time, chronic lung inflammation can change the thickness, composition, or volume of the airways, leading to a condition known as bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis is a long-term, progressive condition in which the airways become permanently widened, leading to a build-up of mucus in the lungs and an increased risk of infection. These changes can also result in hypercapnia in which it is harder to get carbon dioxide out of the lungs.

In cases like this, a mechanical ventilator may be needed to help you breathe. Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury or infection. There are many different reasons why this might occur in the lungs. While inflammation is a means for the body to heal itself, persistent inflammation can cause damage to airways and lung tissues.

Common causes of lung inflammation include:. When airborne toxins or irritants enter the lungs, the body responds with inflammation. This causes the airways to swell and produce a gooey substance called mucus that surrounds the particles and protects the wall of the airways. Mucus can then be dislodged with coughing.

Some common irritants include:. You can also have hypersensitivity pneumonitis in which your immune system overreacts to an inhaled irritant and triggers an extreme allergic response with lung inflammation.

Dust mites, pollen, and pet dander are common triggers. There are many different pathogens disease-causing agents that cause lung infections. These include viruses that tend to cause acute infection, bacteria that can cause acute and chronic lung infections, and fungi that tend to cause severe infections in people with compromised immune systems.

Examples include:. Severe lung infections may cause acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS , a potentially life-threatening condition in which you cannot get enough oxygen in your blood. Asthma is a condition in which your airways narrow and swell in response to different airborne triggers or health conditions.

It causes episodes of bronchospasm in which the airways spasm violently, causing wheezing and coughing.

Mucus might also be produced. People with poorly managed asthma have a higher risk of pneumonia as a result of persistent lung inflammation. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD is associated with chronic lung inflammation and an increased risk of bronchiectasis and pneumonia.

Cigarette smoking is strongly linked to COPD. The disease progresses from chronic bronchitis inflammation of the major airways to emphysema in which the lungs are heavily pitted.

People with advanced COPD often require inhaled corticosteroids steroids to reduce and control lung inflammation. A chest injury or infection can lead to a condition called costochondritis in which the cartilage that joins your rib bone to your breastbone becomes inflamed.

Costochondritis causes sharp or stinging pain and pressure on the chest wall. Lupus , rheumatoid arthritis , sarcoidosis , and scleroderma are all autoimmune diseases in which the body's own immune systems attacks healthy cells and tissues.

Each of these diseases can directly or indirectly affect the lung and trigger lung inflammation. All autoimmune diseases are inflammatory. Autoimmune diseases affecting the lungs can lead to interstitial lung disease ILD.

ILD affects tissues around the airways, causing progressive scarring pulmonary fibrosis. The scarring causes the lungs to stiffen and makes it harder to breathe.

Lung damage from ILD is often irreversible and gets worse over time. Any type of trauma to the lungs or chest wall can cause acute lung inflammation. These include injuries like a rib fracture, a puncture wound, or a collapsed lung pneumothorax following a car accident. People who suffer severe chest or lung trauma are vulnerable to pneumonia due to the build-up of fluid in or around the lungs.

Penetrating wounds also allow bacteria to enter the chest wall, leading to a potentially severe infection.

Cystic fibrosis CF is a progressive genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs.

CF causes the excess build-up of mucus in the lungs, making it harder to breathe. While CF isn't primarily an inflammatory disease, the blockage of the airways can trigger severe inflammation, particularly as the disease worsens.

Pericarditis is an inflammation of the sac pericardium that surrounds the heart. Pericarditis can be caused by an infection, heart attack, certain diseases, and even some medical treatments. While pericarditis directly affects the lining of the heart, the inflammation can spread to the lungs, particularly if the underlying cause is severe or chronic.

Pulmonary embolism PE occurs when a blood clot embolus gets stuck in the artery of the lung. The clot often develops in the lower extremities due to a condition called deep vein thrombosis DVT.

When a clot in the artery of the leg is dislodged, it can travel to the lungs and cause PE. Large clots can cause severe chest pain and other overt symptoms. Smaller clots may be less noticeable at first but still cause significant damage due to the loss of oxygen in the surrounding tissues.

The damage can be worsened by high levels of inflammation at the site of the obstruction. Lung cancer is characterized by chronic lung inflammation as the immune system launches an assault again the cancerous tumor. Lung inflammation is also a common side effect of cancer treatments, including radiation, chemotherapy, and newer targeted drugs and immunotherapies.

All of these treatments trigger an inflammatory response as they target cancer cells for destruction. The causes of lung inflammation are many and require no less than a physical exam including a check of breath sounds and a review of your medical and family.

Based on the findings, other tests and procedures may be ordered. These include lab tests like:. Procedures your healthcare provider may order include:. Imaging tests may include:.

Treating lung inflammation depends on the cause. For lung inflammation due to viral infections, such as the cold or flu, time and supportive care are all that is really involved.

Lung inflammation due to other types of infection, such as Tb, will usually resolve once the underlying infection is treated. Other causes may need treatments specific to lung inflammation to bring the inflammation under control. If you're having a breathing emergency, you may need oxygen therapy to bring your arterial blood gasses back to normal.

In severe care, respiratory support may be needed to help you breathe. This support could include mechanical ventilation with intubation. This is when a tube is fed into the mouth and down the throat to deliver oxygen under controlled pressure.

Different medications may be used to alleviate lung inflammation either directly or indirectly. These include:. Home oxygen therapy may be indicated for chronic lung conditions that severely restrict oxygen blood saturation. It involves a portable oxygen tank and thin tubing called a cannula that delivers oxygen into your nostrils.

Surgery may sometimes be needed to remove an area of the lung that has been damaged by disease. Generally, lung cancer surgery involves removing a lobe of a lung or sometimes an entire lung to ensure the tumor and any cancer cells are extracted.

Surgery for COPD entails removing damaged areas of the lung to improve airflow. Lung inflammation may be due to infection, disease, injury, or exposure to environmental toxins or irritants. Lung inflammation can make it harder to breathe. Over time, if the inflammation doesn't improve, it can damage your lungs.

Diagnosing lung inflammation may involve a review of your medical history, a physical exam, blood test, imaging tests, and procedures to measure how well your lungs and heart are working. Treatment is typically focused on treating the underlying cause.

Each releases cytokines and mediators to modify activities of other inflammatory cells. Orchestration of these cells and molecules leads to progression of inflammation.

Clinically, acute inflammation is seen in pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS , whereas chronic inflammation is represented by asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD.

Because the lung is a vital organ for gas exchange, excessive inflammation can be life threatening. Because the lung is constantly exposed to harmful pathogens, an immediate and intense defense action mainly inflammation is required to eliminate the invaders as early as possible.

A delicate balance between inflammation and anti-inflammation is essential for lung homeostasis. A full understanding of the underlying mechanisms is vital in the treatment of patients with lung inflammation.

Common causes of pneumonitis include airborne irritants at your job or from your hobbies. In addition, some types of cancer treatments and dozens of drugs can cause pneumonitis.

Difficulty breathing — often accompanied by a dry nonproductive cough — is the most common symptom of pneumonitis. Specialized tests are necessary to make a diagnosis. Treatment focuses on avoiding irritants and reducing inflammation. The most common symptom of pneumonitis is shortness of breath, which may be accompanied by a dry cough.

If pneumonitis is undetected or left untreated, you may gradually develop chronic pneumonitis, which can result in scarring fibrosis in the lungs. In your lungs, the main airways, called bronchi, branch off into smaller and smaller passageways. The smallest airways, called bronchioles, lead to tiny air sacs called alveoli.

Pneumonitis occurs when an irritating substance causes the tiny air sacs alveoli in your lungs to become inflamed.

This inflammation makes it difficult for oxygen to pass through the alveoli into the bloodstream. Many irritants, ranging from airborne molds to chemotherapy drugs, have been linked to pneumonitis. But for most people, the specific substance causing the inflammation is never identified. Some chemotherapy drugs can cause pneumonitis, as can radiation therapy to the lungs.

The combination of the two increases the risk of irreversible lung disease. In normal lungs, the air sacs stretch and relax with each breath. Chronic inflammation of the thin tissue lining each air sac causes scarring and makes the sacs less flexible.

They become stiff like a dried sponge. This is called pulmonary fibrosis. In severe cases, pulmonary fibrosis can cause right heart failure, respiratory failure and death.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press.

This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Pneumonitis noo-moe-NIE-tis is a general term that refers to inflammation of lung tissue. Request an appointment. Bronchioles and alveoli in the lungs Enlarge image Close. Bronchioles and alveoli in the lungs In your lungs, the main airways, called bronchi, branch off into smaller and smaller passageways.

By Mayo Clinic Staff. Show references Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. Philadelphia, Pa. Saunders; Accessed Feb. Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Rochester, Minn. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Mason RJ, et al. In: Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine.

King TE. Epidemiology and causes of hypersensitivity pneumonitis extrinsic allergic alveolitis. Niederhuber JE, et al.

Pulmonary complications of anticancer treatment. In: Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. Diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis extrinsic allergic alveolitis.

Treatment, prevention and prognosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis extrinsic allergic alveolitis. Pereira CA, et al.

During inflammation, numerous types of inflammatory cells are activated. Each releases cytokines and mediators to modify activities of other inflammatory cells. Orchestration of these cells and molecules leads to progression of inflammation.

Clinically, acute inflammation is seen in pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS , whereas chronic inflammation is represented by asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. Because the lung is a vital organ for gas exchange, excessive inflammation can be life threatening.

Because the lung is constantly exposed to harmful pathogens, an immediate and intense defense action mainly inflammation is required to eliminate the invaders as early as possible. A delicate balance between inflammation and anti-inflammation is essential for lung homeostasis.