5 Major Respiratory Diseases You Should Beware of

Respiratory diseases commonly occur in almost every person. It need not be a big disease; it can be a minor throat irritation too which becomes a hitch in our day-to-day life, making talking problematic, producing small coughing every now and then and overall disturbing us. Or it can be a nasal congestion that doesn’t allow us to breathe easily and makes us feel uncomfortable. An apparently small respiratory problem can become bigger in the long run if remains unheeded. Therefore it’s recommended to know about major respiratory diseases which may be slowly crawling towards you, given the increasing pollution and infections.

1. Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition which occurs due to a consistent inflammation of airways. Patients manifest lung spasm with wheezing. An asthma attack can be triggered by pollution, allergies and infections. Asthma usually starts in childhood; hence any symptoms pointing towards asthma should be treated without delay. If untreated, some symptoms may get worse and even fatal. While there is no complete cure for asthma, modern science has at least made living with asthma possible.

2. COPD

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a comprehensive term that covers many respiratory diseases that lead to breathlessness or difficulty to exhale normally. More dangerously, the symptoms are usually mistaken for symptoms of aging. The reality is that COPD can occur over many years without showing any symptoms of breathlessness. It’s estimated that half of the COPD patients don’t know about their disease. The disease occurs due to genetics, smoking and atmospheric factors like pollution.

3. Bronchitis

This disease is of two types – chronic and acute. Chronic bronchitis is a manifestation of COPD highlighted by a chronic cough, whereas acute bronchitis is a viral infection. In both conditions, there is an inflammation of mucous membrane in the lungs in the bronchial passage. Because of this airways are clogged due to swelling. Both the conditions require constant treatment. Acute bronchitis is likely to subside after elimination of infection.

4. Allergies

Allergies are one of the commonest respiratory problems and are world-wide! They take place when our immune system mistakes a common substance as an attacker, and overreacts and secretes histamines thus causing allergic reactions. Commonest substances causing allergies are dust, pollens, animal dander, latex, mold, insect stings, certain foods and certain medications. Allergies often affect nose, throat, sinuses and lungs.

5. Pneumonia

Pneumonia occurs due to an infection in the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs. The infection may be due to bacteria, fungi or virus. As such, most patients recover within 1 to 3 weeks; however, in some patients the condition can be fatal too. There may be mild to severe symptoms including cough, shaking chills, fever and shortness of breath. Preventive care includes frequent washing of hands, a flu shot or vaccination for those at a high risk.

Visit Otorrino en Monterrey to know more about Dr. Rafael Moreno, a leading ENT specialist for children as well as adults in Monterrey providing medical as well as surgical care to people with diseases of ear, nose and throat.