Lung problems can be a complication of diabetes. Research into diabetes and lung problems is a new area. The information on this page tells you what we know so far.
Find out the symptoms of different lung problems, what may help prevent them and what treatment and support are available.
What are lung problems?
There are different conditions that can affect the lungs and cause problems.
If you have diabetes, you may also be more likely to have:
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- some infections of parts of the body involved in breathing, such as the sinuses, throat, airways or lungs which are known as respiratory infections. This includes pneumonia.
- Pulmonary hypertension which is high blood pressure in the blood vessels around the lung.
Some people are born with a lung condition called Cystic fibrosis. It can lead to a type of diabetes called Cystic fibrosis diabetes. Diabetes doesn’t cause cystic fibrosis, but as well as increasing your risk of cystic fibrosis diabetes it can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
What causes lung problems in diabetes?
Researchers have recently found out that high blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes can lead to lung problems. If you have high blood sugar levels for a long time it may affect how well your lungs work – called lung function. Over time, higher blood sugar levels can cause reduced lung function.
In general, having high blood sugar levels over time could lead to inflammation, scarring of the lungs, changes to the blood vessels and damage to the nerves. Which can all make it harder for your lungs to work.
Breathing problems and diabetes
If your lungs have to work harder because high blood sugar levels have affected your lung function, it can mean that it becomes harder to breathe out or exhale all the air in your lungs. Or to fully expand your lungs with air when you breathe in.
What types of lung problems are linked to diabetes?
Asthma
Asthma is a common lung condition that causes occasional breathing difficulties.
Having diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, may make you more at risk of asthma, although the research findings are mixed.
Symptoms of asthma are:
- breathlessness or having difficulty breathing
- wheezing - this is a whistling sound when you're breathing
- a feeling of tightness in your chest, which could feel like a band around your chest getting tighter
- coughing.
f you have an asthma attack, these symptoms can be temporarily worse and can be severe. Treatments for asthma include medicine taken through an inhaler and steroids. There is more information about asthma treatments on the Asthma + Lung UK website.
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is where the air flowing from your lungs is obstructed, meaning it can’t get out easily.
COPD is a common condition that especially affects middle-aged or older adults especially those who smoke or have smoked. There are higher rates of COPD in people living with obesity and in people with a higher HbA1c.
Symptoms of COPD are:
- getting short of breath easily when you do everyday activities
- having a cough that lasts a long time
- wheezing
- coughing up more phlegm or mucus than usual.
We don’t yet fully understand the connection between COPD and diabetes. But if you have diabetes, it may make it harder to manage COPD.
Treatments for COPD can help stop the condition getting worse and control symptoms. This includes stopping smoking, inhalers, tablets, exercise and in some rare cases surgery.
One of the main treatments for COPD symptoms is steroid medication. Steroids can also prevent COPD symptoms getting worse. But steroids can make your make diabetes harder to manage, or can lead to people developing diabetes, as they can make your blood sugars high and increase insulin resistance. So make sure your doctor knows you have diabetes. You may need to check your blood sugars if you don’t already and take extra medication or more insulin to help keep them within your target range.
The charity Asthma & Lung UK have lots of information about COPD and other lung conditions.
Respiratory tract infections
Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are infections of parts of the body involved in breathing, such as the sinuses, throat, airways or lungs.
For example, a chest infection is an infection of the lungs or large airways. Bronchitis is inflammation of the airways in the lungs.
Symptoms of these type of infections include:
- a cough – you may cough up clear, white, yellow or green mucus
- chest pain when coughing
- shortness of breath
- a sore throat
- a runny nose
- a high temperature
- generally feeling unwell.
If you have diabetes and you get a respiratory infection, you are more likely to become unwell than someone who doesn't have diabetes. That may be because higher sugar levels in the fluid around the lungs make it harder to fight off bacteria and make it easier for bacteria to grow.
Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection. Diabetes may make you more vulnerable to pneumonia.
Coronavirus is also a respiratory infection. If you have diabetes, you are no more likely to catch coronavirus (COVID-19) than anyone else. However, people with diabetes are more vulnerable to developing a severe illness if they do get coronavirus, but the way it affects you can vary from person to person.
What treatment you need for an RTI depends on the type of infection you have and your symptoms. For example, if an infection is caused by bacteria like pneumonia, then your doctor may prescribe antibiotics for you.
If you have diabetes and you think you have a respiratory infection, see your GP for advice.
Visit your pharmacist if you have early symptoms of an infection, they can give you advice to stop it getting worse. We also have more information about managing your diabetes when you are ill.
What screening is there for lung problems?
Lung complications in diabetes is a new area and more research is needed. So your lungs are not checked for complications as part of your diabetes annual review, as your eyes and kidneys would be, for example. So, it’s important that you talk to your GP about any new or worsening symptoms you are having.
If you are seeing a new or different doctor about a lung problem then make sure they know you also have diabetes
How can I reduce my risk of lung problems?
You can help prevent lung problems by getting the right support to help manage your diabetes. This includes keeping your blood sugars as close to target as possible. And managing blood fat levels and blood pressure to help protect the blood vessels and nerves. Getting and staying active and healthy eating can help.
If you’re a smoker, giving up smoking is one of the best things you can do to help prevent lung problems.
Making sure you're up to date with your vaccines can help protect you from being more severely well. This includes the flu, and covid jab – if you’re eligible if you’re eligible. People who take medication for their diabetes may also be eligible for the pneumococcal vaccine which for most people only needs to be given once for long-term protection.
