Respiratory Ailments

(Bronchial asthma, reversible hyperreactive lung disease)

Asthma is a chronic disease in which the air passages, or bronchi, overact to normally harmless substances or circumstances. When these triggering factors enter the bronchi, the airways constrict to hinder the flow of air in and out of the lungs. Very soon, the bronchi become inflamed, and the membranes lining them secrete a sticky mucus. The result is wheezing, coughing, and difficulty in breathing. A severe attack can be life-threatening.

(Acute infectious bronchitis, chronic bronchitis)

Bronchitis refers to inflammation of the bronchi, the tubes that connect the windpipe, or trachea, with the lungs. When the bronchi become inflamed, breathing is more difficult and the membranes lining the airways produce large amounts of thick mucus, which trigger coughing spells.

A lung collapses when air enters the pleural space, which lies between the membranes (pleura) that line the chest cavity and the lungs. Although this can occur without a person having any symptoms, usually there is sudden, sharp chest pain, shortness of breath, and occasionally, a dry, hacking cough.

A cough is the forcible expulsion of air from the airways to rid them of any obstructions. It is often triggered by excessive fluids in the bronchial passages; but it may also be an attempt to get rid of dust, pollen, and other pollutants in the lungs.

Croup is an acute illness of early childhood that affects the upper and lower respiratory passages Caused by a virus, it frequently follows a cold or the flu. The disorder occurs in the late fall and winter as a rule, and generally lasts no more than a week.

This acute, highly contagious infection is characterized by a grayish membrane that coats the throat. In the disease carrying stages, other symptoms usually include a sore throat, low fever, and swollen glands in the neck. During later stages, the patient may experience difficulty in swallowing or breathing; he may also have a profuse discharge from the nose plus a rapid heartbeat. Although many people think of diphtheria as a children's disease, it can actually strike at any age.

(Pleural Effusion; Pleural Inflammation)

Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the thin, double membrane that covers the lungs and lines the chest cavity. Sometimes fluid accumulates in the space between the layers of the pleural membrane, a condition called pleural effusion.

(Bacterial and Viral Pneumonitis; Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia)

Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. About 2 million Americans contract it each year. Up to 70,000 die, making it our most lethal infectious disease.
Many types of bacteria cause the disease, but pneumococcus is the most common. Viral pneumonia is often caused by flu viruses, whereas fungal pneumonias are frequently contracted by inhaling dust or air that harbors spores of Coccidioides, Hisloplasma, Crypuxoccus, Aspergillus, and others. It is uncertain whether Pneumocystis carina, the organism responsible for AIDS-related pneumonia, is a fungus or parasite, but research favors the former.

Sinusitis, or inflammation of the sinuses, is an exceedingly common problem, affecting millions of Americans of all ages. The nasal sinuses consist of eight air pockets in the bones around the nose, cheeks, and eyes. These cavities are lined with mucous glands, which keep the passages moist. Sinusitis develops when these passages become inflamed and swollen, usually due to an infection or allergic response.

In the United Slates, sore throats account for 40 million visits to medical facilities each year. Although many factors and circumstances promote them, the pain usually indicates inflammation of the pharynx, which extends from the back of the mouth to the esophagus.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a contagious childhood disease that is now rare in industrialized countries, thanks to immunization during infancy. The causative bacterium. Bordetella pertussis, is far from extinct, however; outbreaks still occur among unimmunized children. Half of all cases occur before age two, and children under 12 months are the most severely affected, with a mortality rate of 1 to 2 percent.