Respiratory system diseases affect the nose, throat, and lungs and can be caused by infections, genetics, pollution, and lifestyle factors. Viral, bacterial, and fungal infections can cause mild to life-threatening conditions, while asthma and COPD are often caused by environmental factors and smoking.
Respiratory system diseases are conditions that affect different parts of the nose, throat and lungs. There are many different respiratory system diseases that affect people from all over the world every year. Most of these diseases are caused by infections with viruses, bacteria and fungi. Some infections can be mild, such as the common cold, while others can occur long-term and become life-threatening, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Other causes of respiratory system diseases include genetic predisposition, environmental pollution, and lifestyle factors.
The various diseases of the respiratory system caused by virus infection are often mild and mainly require supportive care, such as rest and plenty of fluid intake. Often, these infections are contagious, transferred from one person to another through coughs and sneezes. There are other viral diseases of the respiratory system, however, that can pose a serious threat to the community, such as swine flu caused by the H1N1 virus, avian flu caused by the H5N1 virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by the SARS coronavirus. .
Bacterial infections of the respiratory tract include tonsillitis, whooping cough, tuberculosis (TB), and pneumonia, among many others. Symptoms such as fever, body weakness, headache, pain when swallowing, and shortness of breath are often present. Some infections are easily treated with the use of antibiotics and plenty of rest, while others require long-term therapy, such as in the treatment of tuberculosis, which can take six to nine months of regular medication. Pneumonia can even be life-threatening if not managed early.
Fungal infections of the lungs include aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, and histoplasmosis. Travel to endemic areas and frequent exposure to bat and bird droppings can often cause infection in susceptible individuals. People who become infected with fungi are often immunocompromised, meaning their immune system doesn’t work well. These include patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Other diseases of the respiratory system include asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In asthma and COPD, there is often narrowing of the airways manifested by shortness of breath. Factors leading to asthma include genetic predisposition and inhalation of harmful substances from the environment, with the disorder mainly manifesting itself in childhood. COPD, on the other hand, is usually caused by lifestyle and environmental factors such as smoking, and is often seen in older people. Smoking has been strongly linked not only to asthma and COPD, but also to the development of lung cancer.
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