confused - Lung & Respiratory Disorders / COPD Message Board

Sandra Carbone · 10-09-2004, 06:13 PM

I just had a chest xray done a week ago. The reslts came back and my primary physician told me that the xrays showed small specks on my lungs. He told me that it looks like they are calcium deposits. I have never heard of calcium deposits in the lungs. I have heard of calcium in the kidneys that produces kidney stones. But this is new to me. What causes calcium to form in the lungs? I have to go back on November 1st for another chest xray to see if there is any more changes in my lungs. Right now, I get short winded when i go up and down the stairs at my work. I cannot jog any more with my dogs, because I start gasping for breath. I do still walk, but my doctor wants me to do something more areobic. I am also on Plavix right now, because I am a stroke survivor, and I also have small vessels disease. This is just another blow to me healthwise. What can I do to keep my qaulity of live close to normal as possible?

proudmom47 · 10-09-2004, 08:06 PM

Instead of jogging just speed walk. I don't know why more people don't do this. Jogging isn't that great for the knees anyway. Speedwalking (around 4 or 4.5 miles per hour) is about the greatest cardio exercise you can do. Do that for at least half an hour and work up if possible.
Cindy

Sandra Carbone · 10-11-2004, 11:41 AM

Thanks. I'll try speed walking, but my husband is pushing for me to do something more areobic.

Sandra Carbone · 11-17-2004, 11:18 PM

Finally got the results from my November 1st chest x-ray. They compared my last chest x-rays to this one. There is no change in the calcium deposits. I am taking it as a good thing. I did buy an ecliptical machine. I can only do 10 minutes at a time. I get very short winded. I still would like to know what causes the calcium to form in the lungs.

wrin · 11-19-2004, 12:13 AM

Sometimes, old, resolved infections will have left calcium deposits within the lung. Other places that calcium can form are in the heart and on the heart valves (which sometimes make the valves not work properly -- lucky you to not have this.)

Other times, in a more severe state, people whose kidneys are not working properly or whose parathyroid glands are not working properly will have an exceedingly high amount of calcium in the blood, called hypercalcaemia, that can result in calcification in the lung and other places. Usually this only develops after a long long time of having high calcium.