Respiratory Illnesses

• Bronchitis: inflammation of lining of air passageways

  • symptoms: excess mucus, coughing, breathlessness
  • cause: acute -->viral infections , chronic --> smoking, pollution
  • treatment: inhaler, rest, antibiotics
• Emphysema: chronic lung disease due to loss of elasticity of the alveoli

  • symptoms: breathlessness, loss of elasticity, fatigue
  • cause: due to gradual breakdown of walls of alveoli. main cause is due to long term irritation of pollutants, smoke and dust
  • treatment: no cure :)
• Pneumonia: inflammation of alveoli of lungs due to acute infection

  • symptoms: fever, shaking, chills, nausea, cough, headache, etc
  • cause: Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • treatment: antibiotics
• Asthma: A chronic inflammatory disease of the airways

  • symptoms: difficulty breathing out, whistling sound, excess secretion of mucus
  • cause: due to an allergic response like pollen, dust, smoking, etc or emotional thingys
  • treatment: bronchodilators or inhalers. it has no cure
• Lung cancer: cells divide repeatedly forming tumors.

  • symptoms: asymptomatic -- callusing of cells of the bronchi, spreading due to metasis, air supply cut off, weight loss
  • cause: tobacco smoke and air pollution
  • treatment: pneumonectomy, chemotherapy