11 Disorders of Respiratory System?

1. Bronchitis:

It is inflammation of the bronchi. It is caused by an infection. It may also be caused by cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollutants like carbon monoxide. The linings of the bronchi swell and produce excess mucus. The typical symptom is regular coughing with thick greenish yellow sputum that indicates the underlying infection. One should avoid smoke chemicals and pollutants. The disease is treated with suitable antibiotics. Bronchodilator drugs are used.

2. Bronchial Asthma:

It is usually due to an allergic reaction to foreign substances that effects the respiratory tract. Allergens (which cause allergy) stimulate the release of histamine from the most cells. Histamine has several effects, one of which is to cause bronchiolar smooth muscle to contract. The symptoms of bronchial asthma may be coughing, wheezing (breathing noisily), difficulty in breathing mainly during expiration. These symptoms are often worst at night. Since it is an allergic disease, therefore, smoking should be discouraged. Treatment of bronchial asthma includes antibiotic therapy and use of bronchodilator drugs and inhalers.

3. Emphysema:

The word ’emphysema’ means ‘inflation’ or ‘full of air’. Emphysema is an inflation or abnormal distension of the bronchioles or alveolar sacs of the lungs. Many of the septa between the alveoli are destroyed and much of the elastic tissue of the lungs is replaced by connective tissue. Major causes are cigarette smoking and the inhalation of other smoke or toxic substances over a period of time. As the alveolar septa collapse, the surface area of gas exchange is greatly reduced. As a result, the alveolar sacs remain filled with air even after expiration. The exhalation becomes more difficult. The lungs remain inflated. Emphysema is closely related to cigarette smoking. Therefore, it must be avoided. One must avoid air pollutants. There is no permanent cure for the disease. Bronchodilators, antibiotics and oxygen therapy are used.

Diseases such as bronchitis, bronchial asthma and emphysema have in common some degree of obstruction of the air passage ways. The term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is used to refer to these disorders.

4 Pneumonia:

It is an acute infection or inflammation of the alveoli or the lung. Pneumonia is caused mainly by bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae. Sometimes, other bacteria or fungi, protozoan viruses and mycoplasma may cause pneumonia. Infants, elderly persons and immunocompromised individuals (who are treated with immunosuppressive drugs, e.g. patients of AIDS) are more susceptible to the pathogens of pneumonia. The alveoli become acutely inflamed. Most of the air space of the alveoli is filled with fluid and dead white blood corpuscles, limiting gas exchange in the alveoli, Oxygen had difficulty diffusing through the inflamed alveoli and the blood 0₂ may be drastically reduced. Infection is the main cause of pneumonia, therefore, people should protect themselves from the pathogens, causing this disease. In case of immunocompromised individuals this disease can be prevented by proper and timely vaccination. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. Oxygen may be given to increase the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood.

5. Occupational Lung Disease:

It is caused by the harmful substances, such as gas fumes or dusts, present in the environment where a person works. Silicosis and asbestosis are common examples, which occur due to chronic exposure of silica and asbestos dust in the mining industry. It is characterised by proliferation of fibrous connective tissue (fibrosis) of upper part of lung, causing inflammation. The occupational disease expresses symptoms after chronic exposure (i.e., 10-15 years or even more), Most of occupational disease including silicosis and asbestosis are incurable.

Therefore, the person who is exposed to such irritants should adopt preventive measure the protective measure as follows:

(i) Minimize the exposure of harmful dust at the work place;

(ii) Workers should be informed about the harm of the exposure to such dusts;

(iii) Workers must use the protective gears and clothing at the work place;

(iv) Health of the workers should be regularly checked up;

(v) Workers should be given holiday from duty at short intervals in such areas. As stated above, there is no permanent cure for this disease. The patient is provided with symptomatic treatment such as bronchodilators and antibiotics for secondary infection.

6. Decompression Sickness (Bends or Caisson Disease or Diver’s Paralysis):

If a diver has been beneath the sea for a long period, so that large amounts of nitrogen have dissolved in his body and when he suddenly comes back to the surface of the sea, significant quantities of nitrogen bubbles can develop in his body fluids. These bubbles can cause minor or serious damage depending on the amount of the bubbles formed. This is decompression sickness. The symptoms of decompression sickness are pain in the legs or arms, dizziness, paralysis, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and unconsciousness.

7. Narcosis:

It is a depression of the central nervous system, including the respiratory centres. Drugs that cause narcosis may be depressants such as alcohol, nitrogen gas and a variety of legally controlled substances such as heroin and barbiturates. In narcosis, the respiratory centres fail to respond effectively to stimulation from the chemoreceptors.

8. Pulmonary Tuberculosis:

It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It most often affects the lungs and the pleura. The bacteria destroy parts of the lung tissue and the tissue is replaces by fibrous connective tissue. Gasses do no diffuse easily through the fibrous tissue. Tuberculosis bacteria are spread by inhalation.

9. Diphtheria:

It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae resulting enlarged mucous membranes of the or pharynx, nasopharynx and larynx. It may obstruct air ways and cause death from asphyxiation.

10. Hypoxia:

It is a condition of oxygen shortage in the tissues. It is of two types:

(a) Artificial Hypoxia: It results from shortage of oxygen in the air as at high attitudes. It causes mountain sickness characterised by breathlessness, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, mental fatigue and bluish tinge on the skin and mucous membrane.

(b) Anaemic Hypoxia: It results from the reduced oxygen carrying capacity of the blood due to anaemia.

11. Pharyngitis:

It is an inflammation of the pharynx, often called sore throat.