With the development of society and the improvement of technology, people's awareness of disease prevention and health check ups is increasing. More and more pulmonary nodules are entering people's field of vision, especially "ground glass nodules" which make people feel scared and anxious when talking about nodules. Some people may panic and feel a shadow in their hearts, unable to eat or drink, and unable to sleep at night. They seek help from multiple hospitals and repeatedly undergo chest CT scans in a short period of time. Some people do not take it seriously and ignore the advice of regular follow-up or specialized hospital visits in the physical examination report, leading to the enlargement of small nodules and even the growth of "lung masses", losing the opportunity for early surgical treatment. So what is pulmonary nodule? What are the high-risk groups? How was it formed? How can we prevent it?
1、 What is pulmonary nodule?
Pulmonary nodule refers to a focal, circular, opaque lung shadow with a diameter of ≤ 3cm on CT, surrounded by air containing lung tissue, without atelectasis, hilar lymph node enlargement, and pleural effusion. Nodules with a diameter less than 1cm are called small nodules (sub centimeter nodules), while those with a diameter less than 5mm are called tiny nodules. And those with a diameter greater than 3cm are called lumps.
2、 What are the high-risk groups for pulmonary nodules?
People who have been smoking for a long time, have a history of lung tumors or a family history of tumors, have been exposed to harmful substances or have a history of occupation, or have a history of chronic lung disease; This group of people should undergo regular chest CT scans to detect early lung cancer.
3、 How do pulmonary nodules form? Our airways have a layer of cilia that are like small brushes. When foreign objects, dust, etc. enter the airways, these cilia will adhere to the foreign objects and then swing them in the same direction to deliver harmful particles to the throat. When these particles accumulate to a sufficient extent, the throat will feel a sense of foreign objects, causing the urge to cough. The foreign objects will also enter the mouth and be expelled from the body with this cough.
If there are too many particles entering the lungs, to the point where the brush cannot wash them clean even with hard work, then some small particles will reach our alveoli and deposit in them. At this point, immune cells or lymph nodes in the human body will engage in a "battle" with them, during which nodules or calcifications will form on the surface of the lungs.
4、 Prevention of pulmonary nodules
1. Stay away from high-risk work environments and occupational exposures: Working in environments with smoking and dust can cause repeated damage to the lungs. Although the lungs know how to repair themselves, they can become tired after multiple repairs, leading to a decline in repair function.
2. Stay away from secondhand smoke: Don't think that not smoking means everything is fine. Long term exposure to secondhand smoke is also one of the high-risk factors for developing lung nodules and lung cancer. It is necessary to stay away from smokers and encourage those around you to quit smoking.
3. Don't smoke: Smoking is currently the most known high-risk factor associated with lung cancer. The earlier you smoke, the longer you smoke, and the more you smoke daily, the higher your risk of developing lung cancer.
So, in addition to staying away from the above three points, maintaining a good mood, actively exercising, following a regular schedule, and eating a healthy diet, regular annual physical examinations can also effectively prevent pulmonary nodules.
In short, when pulmonary nodules are discovered, we should take them seriously to a certain extent, but not panic too much. If you are really worried, you can go to a regular hospital for thoracic surgery or respiratory care, and follow the professional advice of the doctor. The risk of nodules not only depends on their size, but also on their changes. If we find a sudden increase in nodules during a follow-up examination, we should be alert to lung cancer and seek medical attention promptly.