Respiratory Problems

• Asthma


  Chronic lung disease wherein the airways narrow due to inflammation/blocked by mucus
• Asthma


  • Obstructs airflow
  • The obstruction is reversible; asthma symptoms subside & lung function may be normal/near normal between attacks
• Causes of difficulty breathing in asthma

  • Inflammation
  • Mucus in airways
  • Muscle tightening in airway
• Asthma symptoms

  • Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest tightness
  • Sneezing and runny nose
  • Itchy, inflamed eyes
• Asthma medications

  • Long-term drugs
  • Rescue or quick relief drugs
• Asthma diagnosis


  Spirometry - breathing test, measure how much & fast you exhale air
• COPD


  Inflammatory disorder that's not fully reversible, typically progressive, airflow obstruction
• Diseases that make up COPD

  • Emphysema
  • Chronic Bronchitis
• COPD symptoms

  • Cough
  • Wheezing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dyspnea
• Emphysema


  Alveoli become damaged and less elastic; air sacs become damaged and die off, results in smaller surface area for lungs to take oxygen into the blood and remove co2 from body. This can lead to hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the blood) and buildup of toxic waste products. Damage is permanent
• Risk factor for emphysema

  Cigarette smoking - leading cause of emphysema. Destroys lung tissue and causes inflammation of airways
• Chronic Bronchitis


  Inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes; classified as chronic when symptoms (primarily productive cough) lasts more than 3 months within a span of 2 years
• Lung Cancer


  Abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way in the lungs; leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide
• Types of lung cancer

  • Small cell carcinoma (previously known as oat cell carcinoma; rare and fast-growing)
  • Non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) (includes adenocarcinoma & squamous cell carcinoma; more common, grows slowly)
• Lung cancer symptoms

  • Cough that doesn't go away
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Loss of appetite or weight loss
  • Hemoptysis (coughing blood)
• Lung cancer risk factors

  • Smoking
  • Second-hand smoke
  • Occupational/environmental
• Cystic Fibrosis


  Genetic (inherited) disease that causes sticky, thick mucus to build up in organs, including lungs and pancreas; thick mucus clogs airways, blocks ducts in pancreas causing problems in digesting
• Forms of Cystic Fibrosis

  • Atypical CF (milder & may only affect 1 organ; comes later in life)
  • Typical / classic CF (shows in first few years of a child's life and caused by mutations in a gene called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR))
• Pneumonia


  Infection that inflames the alveoli in one / both lungs. Air sacs may fill with fluid or pus (purulent material). This is caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.
• Types of pneumonia


  • Bacterial Pneumonia (most common cause, occur on its own. Most common bacteria is streptococcus pneumoniae)
  • Viral Pneumonia (often mild & goes away on its own)
  • Fungal Pneumonia (most common in people who have chronic health problems)
• Pleural effusion


  Accumulation of fluid in between the parietal & visceral pleura, called pleural cavity, resulting from excess fluid production or decreased lymphatic absorption; "water on the lung"
• Causes of pleural effusion

  • Congestive heart failure
  • Pneumonia
  • Malignancy
  • Pulmonary embolism
• Types of pleural effusion

  • Transudative Pleural Effusion (fluid leaking into the pleural space)
  • Exudative pleural effusion (blood or lymph vessels are blocked)
• Pertussis


  Whooping cough, highly contagious respiratory infection caused by bacterium Bordetella pertussis
• Pertussis symptoms

  • Cough for 2/more weeks
  • Fits of coughing
  • Cough followed by vomiting
• shows in first few years of a child's life and caused by mutations in a gene called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)


  typical or classic cystic fibrosis