Respiratory diseases limit lung expansion and cause airway obstruction. Asthma, COPD, pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer, rhinitis, and pneumonia are common respiratory diseases. Smoking is a major cause of respiratory problems, and lifestyle changes are essential to manage them. Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the lungs, which can cause heart failure. Sickle cell anemia can also cause respiratory problems.
Respiratory diseases refer to chronic conditions that limit the lungs’ ability to expand, causing airway obstruction as tissue or blood vessel damage presents problems with gas exchange or circulation. Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary hypertension are some of the most common respiratory system problems, affecting many people around the world. Also, lung cancer, rhinitis, and pneumonia are other common respiratory diseases affecting people around the world.
Problems with the respiratory system manifest as bronchoconstriction, a tightening of the muscles in the airways within the lungs, resulting in wheezing and shortness of breath. Very common among children, asthma is responsible for the majority of childhood hospitalizations as of 2011. Other symptoms include swelling of the airways, inflammation, cough, and lung remodeling, a progression of changes in structure and tissue that occur at due to long-term inflammation, usually due to uncontrolled asthma. Typical triggers for asthmatic episodes include exposure to environmental elements such as tobacco smoke, dog or cat dander, pollen, and cold air. Sometimes exercise, dust, and exhaust fumes also aggravate or induce symptoms.
Cigarette smoking is a major cause of respiratory system problems, especially COPD and lung and throat cancer. Characterized by a persistent cough, difficulty breathing, and excessive mucus production, COPD refers to a diagnosis that includes several lung diseases: emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and sometimes asthma. Loss of elasticity of the air sac, a major feature of the disease, causes COPD sufferers to find it difficult to breathe due to trapped air and an inability to breathe in enough air. There is no cure for COPD, as it is a progressive disease and only the symptoms and exacerbations can be managed effectively. Lifestyle changes are essential to manage lung cancer and COPD, one of the most beneficial being the cessation of tobacco products.
Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure, which occurs within the arteries of the lungs usually produced due to narrowing of blood vessels, causing a lack of oxygen and possible heart failure. Manifestations include dizziness, lower extremity edema, blue lip color, and fatigue. A disease that has several possible causes such as COPD, heart disease, and pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension is also prevalent in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. Primarily affecting African-Americans, sickle cell anemia is a disease that produces sickle-shaped red blood cells causing episodic seizures involving blockage and damage to blood vessels, leading to problems with the respiratory system. Research indicates that a diagnosis of sickle cell disease along with pulmonary hypertension is often fatal.
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