Tumors located at the apex of the lung (such as Pancoast tumors) can compress the brachial plexus or spinal cord, causing numbness in the arms and fingers, and some patients will also have a pain like discharge.
The performance of a person's lungs is crucial to whether they are good or not. If there are abnormal coughs and sputum, dyspnea, hemoptysis, chest pain, etc., we can easily think that there is something wrong with the lungs and go to the hospital in time. However, there are also many patients who, although suffering from lung diseases, do not have such typical symptoms in their lungs. On the contrary, extrapulmonary organs that seem to have nothing to do with the lungs may have problems, such as hands.
Doctors remind that whether the lungs are good or not can be known by looking at the hands? People with bad lungs are prone to 5 abnormalities in their hands. Compare and see.
1. People with poor lungs are prone to abnormal cyanosis in their hands
Cyanosis, also known as cyanosis, is the abnormal blue-purple color of the fingers, especially at the ends of the fingers, where cyanosis is more easily observed. As a doctor, I would like to remind everyone that if cyanosis occurs, you should go to the hospital in time to find out the cause. The most common cause of cyanosis is lung disease.
Like pneumonia, bronchial asthma, lung cancer, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc., can all lead to hypoxia in the lungs, which in turn causes hypoxia and carbon dioxide retention, leading to an increase in reduced hemoglobin in the blood. It is precisely this increase in this substance that can easily cause the skin and mucous membranes to become cyanotic.
2. People with poor lungs are prone to abnormal pain in their hands
If you have abnormal pain in your hands, you must not ignore it. It is recommended to go to the hospital in time to find out the cause. Lung cancer can easily metastasize to the hands, causing abnormal pain in the hands. Malignant tumors located at the apex of the lungs can also cause abnormal hand pain once they compress the brachial plexus nerves. This pain will feel like electric discharge.
3. People with poor lungs are prone to abnormal clubbing in their hands
Clubbing, also known as drumstick fingers, is a thickening and club-shaped swelling at the end of the finger, and the nail is arched from the root to the end, so that the base angle formed by the skin on the back of the fingertip and the nail is ≥180°.
The reason for this abnormal finger is that the peripheral circulation is hypoxic, causing the blood to release a series of vasoactive substances, such as 5-hydroxytryptamine, prostaglandins, etc. These vasoactive substances cause local vascular dilation, which will induce soft tissue hyperplasia over time.
Lung disease is the most common cause of clubbing. Diseases such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, etc. can all cause clubbing.
4. People with poor lungs are prone to abnormal fractures in their hands
Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor. When lung cancer comes, it is easy to metastasize to the bones of the hand. Once metastasized, it is easy to cause pathological fractures in the hand.
5. People with poor lungs are prone to abnormal numbness in their hands
Numbness in fingers should be alert to lung cancer. There are many reasons. First, it is a malignant tumor located at the apex of the lung, which can easily compress the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus is an important nerve that controls the upper limbs. It is composed of the anterior branches of the spinal nerve roots (the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th cervical nerves and the 1st thoracic nerve) and is responsible for the sensation and motor function of the upper limbs. Once the brachial plexus is compressed, it is easy to cause abnormal numbness, and some patients will also have movement disorders.
How can we determine whether there is lung disease?
Some lung diseases are easy to detect. A chest CT scan is enough, such as lung cancer and tuberculosis. Some require lung function tests, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma.