Download Respiratory System Diseases

Respiratory System Diseases
Respiratory System Diseases
When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen from the air and deliver it to the
bloodstream. The cells in your body need oxygen to work and grow. During a normal
day, you breathe nearly 25,000 times. People with lung disease have difficulty
breathing. Millions of people in the U.S. have lung disease. If all types of lung disease
are lumped together, it is the number three killer in the United States. The term lung
disease refers to many disorders affecting the lungs, such as asthma, COPD, infections
like influenza, pneumonia and tuberculosis, lung cancer, and many other breathing
problems. Some lung diseases can lead to respiratory failure.
Asthma – Asthma is a chronic disease that
affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If
you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes
them very sensitive, and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or
find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less
air. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, especially early in the morning
or at night, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Not all people who have asthma
have these symptoms. Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean that you have
asthma. Your doctor will diagnose asthma based on lung function tests, your medical
history, and a physical exam. You may also have allergy tests. When your asthma
symptoms become worse than usual, it’s called an asthma attack. Severe asthma
attacks may require emergency care, and they can be fatal. Asthma is treated with two
kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term
control medicines to prevent symptoms.
Influenza – Flu is a respiratory infection caused by a number of viruses. The viruses pass
through the air and enter your body through your nose or mouth. Between 5% and 20%
of people in the U.S. get the flu each year. The flu can be serious or even deadly for
elderly people, newborn babies, and people with certain chronic illnesses. Symptoms
of the flu come on suddenly and are worse than those of the common cold. They may
include body or muscle aches, chills, cough, fever, headache, and/or sore throat. Is it
a cold or the flu? Colds rarely cause a fever or headaches. Flu almost never causes an
upset stomach. And “stomach flu” isn’t really flu at all, but gastroenteritis. If you get
the flu, your health care provider may prescribe medicine to help your body fight the
infection and lessen symptoms. The main way to keep from getting the flu is to get a
yearly flu vaccine. Good hygiene, including hand washing, can also help.
Pneumoconiosis - literally, “an abnormal condition of dust in the lungs.” A generic
name for conditions where toxic particles become trapped in the lungs and cause
symptoms and disability such a “black lung” or “miner’s lung” disease. Terms specific
to the particulate matter may be given such as asbestosis.
Pneumonia – is an infection in one or both of the
lungs. Many germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can cause pneumonia. You can
also get pneumonia by inhaling a liquid or chemical. People most at risk are older than
65 or younger than 2 years of age, or already have health problems. Symptoms of
pneumonia vary from mild to severe. See your doctor promptly if you have a high fever,
have shaking chills, have a cough with phlegm that doesn’t improve or gets worse,
develop shortness of breath with normal daily activities, have chest pain when you
breathe or cough, and feel suddenly worse after a cold or the flu. Your doctor will use
your medical history, a physical exam, and lab tests to diagnose pneumonia. Treatment
depends on what kind you have. If bacteria are the cause, antibiotics should help. If
you have viral pneumonia, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medicine to treat it.
Tuberculosis (TB) – is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the
body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs,
sneezes, or talks. If you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests. You
are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system. Symptoms of TB in the
lungs may include a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer, weight loss, loss of appetite,
coughing up blood or mucus, weakness or fatigue, fever, and/or night sweats. Skin
tests, blood tests, x-rays, and other tests can tell if you have TB. If not treated properly,
TB can be deadly. You can usually cure active TB by taking several medicines for a long
period of time.
Epistaxis - want a fancier name for a “nosebleed?” You got
it!
Cystic fibrosis - an inheritable disease that affects not only
the lungs but other systems producing mucous such as the
digestive system. Patients suffer frequent lung infections
that are hard to treat because mucous is thick and sluggish
and result in increased scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs. They
also take multiple enzyme pills because of digestive
abnormalities related to abnormal mucous production.
Emphysema (COPD) - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease, of which emphysema is one of, results in
progressive destruction of the air sacs in the lungs and loss
of respiratory membrane for oxygen exchange. COPD
(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) makes it hard for
you to breathe. The two main types are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The main
cause of COPD is long-term exposure to substances that irritate and damage the lungs.
This is usually cigarette smoke. Air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust can also cause
it. At first, COPD may cause no symptoms or only mild symptoms. As the disease gets
worse, symptoms usually become more severe. They include a cough that produces a
lot of mucus, shortness of breath, especially with physical activity, wheezing, chest
tightness.
Atelectasis - a collapsed lung. Literally, “an imperfect expansion” in Greek.
Lung Cancer – Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. It is a
leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States. Cigarette
smoking causes most lung cancers. The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the
earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. High levels of
pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also increase risk. Common symptoms
of lung cancer include a cough that doesn’t go away and gets worse over time, constant
chest pain, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness, repeated
problems with pneumonia or bronchitis, swelling of the neck and face, loss of appetite
or weight loss, and fatigue. Doctors diagnose lung cancer using a physical exam,
imaging, and lab tests. Treatment depends on the type, stage, and how advanced it is.
Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy.
Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without harming normal
cells.