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Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, [1] are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea , bronchi , bronchioles , alveoli , pleurae , pleural cavity , the nerves and muscles of respiration .
Lung disease - Patients with underlying lung disease are more likely to develop pneumonia. Diseases such as emphysema and habits such as smoking result in more frequent and more severe bouts of pneumonia. In children, recurrent pneumonia may indicate cystic fibrosis or pulmonary sequestration.
The lower respiratory tract consists of the trachea (windpipe), bronchial tubes, bronchioles, and the lungs. [6] Lower respiratory tract infections (LRIs) are generally more severe than upper respiratory infections. LRIs are the leading cause of death among all infectious diseases. [7] The two most common LRIs are bronchitis and pneumonia. [8]
Diagnosis, like with any infection, relies on the detection of the infectious cause. With viral pneumonia, samples are taken from the upper and/or lower respiratory tracts. [3] The samples can then be run through polymerase chain reaction (PCR), allowing for amplification of the virus as that allows better detection if present in the sample. [4]
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. [3] [14] Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. [15]
Lower respiratory infectious disease is the fifth-leading cause of death and the combined leading infectious cause of death, being responsible for 2.74 million deaths worldwide. [27] This is generally similar to estimates in the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study. [28]
Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. [1] Most infections show no symptoms, in which case it is known as latent tuberculosis. [1] Around 10% of latent infections progress to active disease that, if left untreated, kill about half of those affected. [1]
The common cold or the cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the respiratory mucosa of the nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. [6] [8] Signs and symptoms may appear in as little as two days after exposure to the virus. [6] These may include coughing, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, headache ...